Your Girlfriend, My Girlfriend, Our Girlfriend
by Nadine25
Summary: In which Naruto dates an unconscious Hinata, Sasuke wants a girlfriend, Sakura accepts an impossible task and Itachi is very protective of his younger brother. And everyone prays that Itachi doesn't end up killing Sakura. AU; ItaSaku.
1. Chapter 1

A loud scream echoed through the Uchiha compound.

Sasuke who was in the Kitchen assisting his mother with dinner preparations, hastily stepped into the hallway just in time to see his girlfriend frantically scramble down the giant steps, tears streaming from her eyes. The girl was sobbing so loudly, that the young Uchiha didn't consider running towards her for fear of losing his sense of hearing.

And in all fairness, he was just too stunned to move, even if he didn't value his hearing as much as he did.

The girl's eyes zeroed in on him; however, she quickly looked away as if too scared to even complain to her boyfriend. She then hastily pushed past Sasuke and started running away from him as if he had a deadly contagious disease that she could contract, if she so much as looked at him. A second later the girl was out of the door, not even bothering to close it behind her.

Sasuke shifted his attention to the top of the stairs, knowing full well what he'll find there. And just as he thought, at the very top, stood his elder brother looking as impassive as ever as he watched the girl scurry away.

However, Sasuke could easily detect the hint of smug satisfaction in his brother's eyes, as he shifted his gaze to him, before his unperturbed tenor echoed; "So, what are we having for dinner, Sasuke?"

.

Sitting in Naruto's favorite ramen stand, Sakura didn't even need to look up to see who it was that just joined her. His brooding aura was enough to alert her to his presence even from miles away.

Sasuke plopped down next to his teammate, and silently gestured for the waitress to bring him a plate. Not that he really liked ramen or anything; but after so many years with Naruto, the dish just became an acquired taste for both him and Sakura. It was either acquire the taste or die of hunger as Naruto would forever insist on consuming nothing but ramen.

Shifting her attention from her plate, and towards her friend, Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly.

"What's wrong?" She questioned.

To the normal onlooker, Sasuke would appear as emotionless as ever. But she knew better. How did she know you ask me? No idea. And in all fairness she had no idea either; she was just venturing a guess.

Which happened to be true, since something really was wrong.

As a response to her question, Sasuke just looked pointedly back at her.

And that was all it took for the smart medic to catch his drift.

"He did it again, didn't he?" She concluded, unable to hide her amusement.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, as if to tell her that this was by no means funny to him.

"So, how did he drive this one away?" She questioned, hoping to change the current monologue into something resembling a dialogue, which was quite hard to accomplish when you're talking to an Uchiha.

*Like pulling teeth.* Sakura thought, having had firsthand experience with how hard it is to pull teeth, courtesy of her line of work.

"I don't know." Sasuke finally offered. "I wasn't even there this time." He added wistfully.

Sakura grinned, "You gotta hand it to him; he has a real talent for driving your girlfriends away."

Sasuke just glared at her.

"You think this is funny?" He questioned darkly.

Sakura waved a hand in front of her face but couldn't help but reply truthfully, "Pretty much." She said laughingly, as she ignored Sasuke's indignant glare.

"Oh, come on," She said mid giggles, "Why don't you just talk to him about it?"

"I have." Sasuke said simply.

"But that was a long time ago."

"And what changed? he'll just tell me what he did back then: that he knows what's best for me. That I have very poor taste in women, and that the girls I pick are not good enough to hang around his Ototo." Sasuke said, trying very hard to stay impassive, but failing miserably as bitterness laced his every word.

Sakura sighed.

"Well, maybe he is right; I mean if none of those girls could handle him, then they might not be good enough, after all." She offered, trying to add some perspective to the whole situation.

Once again Sasuke just glared at the girl, a patented Uchiha glare that could send anyone else running for the hills.

But this just caused Sakura to grin at him.

"How about your mother; I am sure Mikoto-sama wants you to find someone." Sakura offered hopefully.

Sasuke actually shrugged at that.

"She trusts in his opinion." He said bitterly, through gritted teeth.

Sakura slouched in her chair.

"Well, then you're doomed." Came her straightforward reply, as she stuck her tongue out at her friend.

The Uchiha scowled as the waitress placed his plate in front of him, her attempts to catch his eye completely lost on the boy who was glaring pointedly at Sakura.

It's not like he was in love with any of the girls he dated, or thanks to his brother: attempted to date. But he was a seventeen year old boy. And with his looks, he had like half of the female population of Konoha vying for a few seconds of his attention.

But Noooo! He had to have a vindictive, impassive and ridiculously protective older brother, who just happened to be one of the strongest men in Konoha.

I mean, Sasuke just didn't see what his brother was too worried about. What harm could he possibly bring on himself out of a few innocent (or not too innocent) dates?

Sasuke sighed internally. Since Uchiha don't sigh out loud. Actually, Uchiha just don't sigh, period. But, he was desperate at the moment.

"Why are you so eager about going out with someone anyway?" Came Sakura's voice that snapped him out of his trance. "You hate people." She said honestly. "All people." She added informatively. "You even hate animals." She added as an afterthought. "Hell, you hate all living things, except for tomatoes." She finished insightfully.

Sasuke blinked a couple of times.

"Are you done?" He asked his chatty friend.

"Yup." The pinkette said smiling brightly back at him.

"It is not a matter of wanting their company." He declared.

"God forbid." Sakura commented sarcastically, causing the Uchiha to throw a venomous glare her way.

"I **need** to go out with someone." He said in an impassive voice, that thoroughly masked any **need** that might have been there.

"And why is that?" She questioned, arching an eyebrow.

"My social standing depends on it." Sasuke declared.

"Your social standing?" She parroted in question format.

Sasuke nodded.

"Even Naruto has a girlfriend now." Sasuke declared. "Do you know where that puts me?"

Sakura shook her head, "It's fine; I don't have a boyfriend either. We're at the same place." She declared with a happy smile.

And at that, Sasuke's eyes widened by a minute fraction.

"It's worse than I thought." He surmised.

"Heeeey." Sakura said, a little affronted.

"I am fine." She assured herself confidently.

"At least I am not in denial." He said impassively.

And just as Sakura started contemplating punching her friend through the Ramen stand, the third member of team seven popped his head between them, as he smiled brightly at his two comrades.

"Good morning." Naruto twitted happily, his million dollar smile casting its light over the place.

Sasuke winced at all the happiness.

"Shut up, Dobe." He said without permeable.

"What did I do, you bastard? I just said good morning. Sheesh, someone didn't get his beauty sleep today." Naruto said plopping down on Sakura's other side.

"So Naruto, how are things going with Hinata?" Sakura said, choosing to interrupt before this turns into a fist fight, as is always the case with the two.

As a matter of fact, they once had a three hour sparring match because of the words 'good and morning' and no one wants a repeat of that.

Sakura's words seemed to do the impossible. As Naruto actually frowned. Not only that, but he frowned while sitting at Ichiraku's. Oh, humanity is in danger now.

Bowing his head the blonde responded, "Not good." He declared.

"Why not?"

"We've been dating for three weeks now, and the longest conversation we've had was: 'good morning Hinata-chan….. N-Naruto-Kun…. Booom.'"

"Boom?" Sasuke repeated impassively.

"Yah. After that she just passes out and I carry her home." Naruto said somberly, before glaring at the now smirking Sasuke.

"What the hell are you laughing at, teme." Naruto bellowed.

"You." Sasuke said simply.

"Oh, you think that's funny? At least my big brother's not preventing me from dating girls." Naruto mocked.

Sasuke shot up from his seat, with every intention of pummeling his friend. And on Sakura's other side, the blonde stood up as well smiling challengingly back at his friend/eternal rival.

"SIT!" Came Sakura's low, yet thoroughly dangerous command. "If we destroy one more ramen stand, Shishou will have us clean the Inuzuka dog stables for months to come." She gritted out.

Exchanging a look that roughly translated into: 'I'll punch you in the face later', the two once again resumed their seats.

Sighing, Naruto started, "This is hopeless." He said miserably.

"Not more hopeless than my situation." Sasuke pitched.

"Oh come on." The girl between them said in a happy tone, putting a comforting hand on both of their shoulders. "I'm sure you guys will figure it out." She said confidently. "Hinata-chan just needs some time and patience and she'll get used to having you around without driving herself into a coma." And shifting her attention to the perpetually brooding Uchiha she pushed on, "And I'm pretty sure that you'll find a girl who your brother approves of, or at the very least one who can't be intimidated by his scare tactics."

Naruto smiled, and Sasuke just looked disbelievingly back at her.

However in a second, the Uchiha's expression changed.

"Sasuke?"

"You're right." He said getting to his feet. "I don't need the right girl; I just need a girl who won't be intimidated by my brother."

"Good luck finding that." Naruto declared, from his perch on Sakura's other side.

"But, I already have." Came the raven's level monotone.

"Huh?" The two questioned.

"Who's that?" Sakura questioned obliviously.

"You." Sasuke said simply.

"What?" Sakura questioned.

"Are you asking Sakura-chan out?"

"Cuz, I think we've both outgrown that phase." Sakura said wisely.

"I'm not exactly asking you out." Sasuke elaborated. "I merely need you to pretend to be going out with me."

"How would that help anything?" Naruto questioned.

"If she could weather my brother's intimidation; then the curse would be broken."

"Oh, come on," Sakura whined. "Only God knows what he does to those poor women, why would I put myself through that? And even if I survive him, who told you that he'll approve of anyone you date after that?"

"It won't matter if he does. I just want to get back at him, and maybe prove to him that I know what I'm doing." Sasuke said excitedly. Actually much more excitedly than she's ever seen him before, and much less excitedly than any other human being, except if that human being was another Uchiha.

"But why would I subject myself to that." She said rolling her eyes. "Your brother is the most powerful Anbu captain in Konoha. And I've seen some of those girls after they met him; they're like shells of their former selves. Now, I'm not stupid enough to…."

"Please." Sasuke interrupted in all seriousness.

Sakura took a second to ponder the fact that he actually feels strongly about that.

"Well, it's not like Sakura-chan has someone anyways." Naruto reflected intuitively, before doubling over in pain, as Sakura's fist connected with his stomach.

"Fine." Sakura finally concurred, looking at the expectant Sasuke. "But, you'll owe me big time for this." She declared.

Sasuke nodded and gave a mischievous grin, that widened even more as he watched Naruto squirm on the floor in pain.

"So, what's the plan?"

**Well, I just finished an ItaSaku story and I had to get into another. I think I'm addicted by now. **

**I have no idea where that came from. But I hope you guys liked it. **

**I don't know exactly how long this is gonna be, but I know what I'll be writing and I shall let my muse guide my keyboard strokes. **

**Let me know what you think, and whether you'd like me to continue. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, Hello, **

**I know it took me forever to post this second chapter, but now school's off and I'm back. So you could expect weekly updates. Wohooooo!**

**Now a few things before I leave you guys to read this chapter: first of all many thanks to those who reviewed, and favorited this story. Thank you guys so much!**

**And to answer a question that has been asked: this is not the sequel to my other ItaSaku story. I just started working on that one and I'll post it soon. This is a completely different story, but if you've read the other one, I'm sure you'll notice a lot of similar dynamics ;)**

"My love for you burns with the heat of one thousand suns, shining brightly at noon in a particularly hot summer day in the beginning of August."

"Erm, that's nice."

"My love for you is a vigorous tidal wave, sweeping everything with it, leaving nothing but the forests of obliviousness and the sweetness that is you."

"O-Okay?"

"My love for you is an earthquake shaking the very core of my beliefs and causing everything to crumble to its knees when faced with the strength and purity of your overwhelming youthful presence."

"My love for you is typhoon…"

"Got it Lee, I am a natural disaster." Sakura concluded exhaustedly.

It was one thing for him to shower her with odd compliments (_or insults, she could never really figure out which one it was, but from the smile he usually wore, and the frequent if not overly repetitious use of the word 'love' she kinda assumed they were compliments_) When they were hanging out with friends; it was a completely different thing though, when the jubilant mass of green attacked in the middle of the street and started to spout weird sounding words at her as people stared.

"Indeed you are." Lee agreed. "You are a love disaster, a youthful cataclysm."

"That's…..." She started, not knowing how to finish the sentence, "Horrible." She finished in all honesty.

*Beggars can't be choosers* Her inner self sang. *As horrible as this was; it's not like you have a boyfriend, or anyone else to complement you for that matters.* She said snidely.

Sakura punched her annoying self in the face, but couldn't help but admit that her inner makes a valid point.

"The shining sun of your love has robbed me of my rationality. It shines so brightly, that everyone had to shield their eyes. But even then, the light reached them. And now they're blind."

"Blind?" She repeated with a frown. "They're all blind?"

"Indeed they are." He concurred happily now that she seemed to be giving him her full attention.

"That's not a good thing, Lee." She said almost reprimanding-ly.

"It's fine though; now that they're blind they can't see the cruelty of reality." He paused, his round eyes watering up, "Oh, I can't believe my beautiful Sakura blossom has left me for none other than my arch rival." He declared.

Sakura paused for a second, finally putting two and two together.

"Oh, you mean Sasuke? I thought Naruto was your arch rival." She reasoned.

The boy scratched his head. "Can I not have two arch rivals?" He questioned, not really sure of what the rules are on this one.

"Not really." Sakura said informatively. "At least not Sasuke, since Sasuke is Naruto's arch rival; which means that he's the rival of your rival, which makes him your friend. So if you really look at it: I'm currently dating your friend." She declared thanking her lucky stars for her uncanny ability to reason with idiots. That's kinda one of the few merits of having Naruto for a best friend.

"Oh." The boy said, a little dumbstruck. "Well, in that case con…..con…. congratulations Sakura-chan." He said completely deflated.

"Thank you so much, Lee." She said happily, feeling a bit guilty for tricking the innocent guy. "I'll see you around."

"See you around my youthful Sakura blossom." He said waving excitedly back at her.

Sakura walked away with a small smile on her face. That smile however soon turned into a contemplative look, as she pondered the fact that everyone seemed to know about her and Sasuke's "relationship" only 1 day after the agreement. I guess that's what you get for tasking Naruto and his loud mouth with spreading the word. Sakura sighed.

It's not like she didn't want to help Sasuke, cuz she really did. She strongly believed that he should be allowed to see whoever he wants whenever he wants to, without having someone dominate his life.

But, the thing is…. Well I guess the valiant medic was getting a little apprehensive about what she has walked into this time. She was going to have to go toe to toe with Itachi. And all she could think about were the times she has heard many a fearless, high ranking officer of other Shinobi countries advice his underling to make a mad dash for it, if they ever detect his presence and to never ever engage in a fight with him. "Flee on Sight" they called it. And every one of the Shinobi countries had one with his face firmly etched on it.

Even Konoha's shinobi were once and again advised to completely avoid making contact with the Anbu leader if they can manage it. He was deadly and aside from his family, his team, and a few select others; no one ever dared come close to him.

Sakura herself, who is one of Sasuke's closest friends, never got two words in with the man. He was always walking out, or going away wherever she walked into their house. And she'd always open her mouth to greet him and watch him walk away without even hearing it. At first she was mesmerized by the man. She even got a little crush on him, courtesy of her teenage hormones and his dark aura and unfair good looks. But, she soon realized that while Sasuke wasn't right for her (A fact that she realized many years ago); Itachi was just off limits. He was off limits to everyone, with no one in their right mind attempting to test his stoic patience and subject himself to his icy wrath.

The fangirls however, were the only ones suicidal enough to try, and Itachi made allowances for them opting not to kill, torture or mind-rape them. The ones who got that murderous treatment, however, were Sasuke's girlfriends.

And she just went and put a huge bullseye right on her forehead, and right now she was wondering what the hell pushed her into doing it.

*It's because you don't have a boyfriend and have no hopes of getting one, so you got desperate enough to accept a fake relationship with a guy you don't love.* Inner Sakura weighed in again.

Sakura's eyed widened.

*No it's not.* She roared. *I was just attempting to help my friend.* She reasoned.

*Suuuuuure.* The inner drawled.

*It was.* The girl said crossly.

*Of course.* Came the sarcastic reply accompanied by a non-commitant shrug.

And just while Sakura was contemplating violent murder, someone else apparently was sharing the same train of thought and out of nowhere a bunch of Kunai came flying at her.

"Ino." Sakura said/greeted in a bored tenor, after dodging the Kunai. It's not like she didn't see this one coming from a distance.

"FOREHEAD!" The blonde screeched with a crazy look in her eyes.

"I'll kill you dead." Ino roared.

*As opposed to what?* Inner Sakura commented haughtily. *Killing you alive?* She questioned. *Such smart friends you have. Birds of a feather I guess.*

Sakura glared at her inner self, as she blocked Ino's attack.

"I am not really dating him." Sakura said matter of factly. Everyone knew that Ino was madly in love with Sasuke, simply because she told everyone, including Sasuke. And Sakura reasoned that the knowledge that she was dating him was bound to be driving her crazy, *Crazier.* Inner Sakura amended.

"Don't lie to me Billboard Brow," The blonde declared manically, and when she realized that she had absolutely no way of landing a hit on Sakura, she opted to change routes. So she put on her best accusing look, "I thought we were friends." She said, attempting a fake-pout and failing miserably.

Sakura almost rolled her eyes, "last time I implied that we were friends; you said that the door of your friendship isn't wide enough for my forehead to fit through." She pointed out.

Ino looked thoughtful.

"Well, you do have a monstrous forehead." She said matter of factly, unable to help herself.

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

Ino's eyes gleamed with crazy.

"Oh, come on, I said I'm not really dating him."

The blonde flipped her hair, *Crazy eyes.* Inner Sakura sang.*You're gonna be majorly assassinated.*She added happily.

*If I die, you die, you idiot.* Sakura pointed out.

*What?* Pause…. *No, no, no… This wasn't part of the deal.* The inner started freaking out.

"Oh, really?" Ino said in a deranged voice, as she took a step towards her best-friend/man stealing hoe. "Cuz the entire town is buzzing about it."

*Tell her the truth… Tell her NOW* Inner Sakura ordered, waving her hands in front of her like a mad person. *I'm way too young to die… tell her! Or at the very least ask her if she could kill you just a little bit to let me stay alive.*

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Listen Ino, I'm really not…."

"Don't underestimate what I'm capable of, billboard." Ino roared taking another step forwards.

Sakura fanned herself with her hand, "I am not, believe me," she said honestly. "I can easily picture you stroking a cat and laughing manically. All I am saying is that before you kill me maybe you should listen…."

And she started reiterating how she has accepted Sasuke's request in order to try and get Itachi off his back.

"So you're not really with him?" She concluded.

"No!" Sakura said exhaustedly.

"Well I kinda figured." She lied through her teeth. "He'd never go for someone like you, with someone like me around." She declared flashing her hair seductively.

"YOU…" Sakura started meaning to lash out on the infuriating blonde but was interrupted by a mischievous gleam in the blonde's eyes.

"Oh, but this is great." Ino declared.

"What is great?" Sakura questioned in a bored tenor. Nothing good ever came about when Ino smiled like that.

"This plan of Sasuke's is great."

"And why is that exactly?" She questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Because it could work for me." Ino declared, before pushing on to answer Sakura's unspoken question. "If this plan works, you could get Itachi off of Sasuke-Kun's back and then I could get together with him all I want to."

"I'm not sure that this plan will get Itachi-San off of Sasuke's….."

"Of course it would; he'll probably kill you and be tried for murder leaving Sasuke to mourn the loss of his brother and that's when I swoop in to comfort him." The blonde said with a dreadfully unsympathetic smile.

Sakura twitched. "Aside from all that is wrong with this statement; don't you think that Sasuke would mourn me too? I'd be dead you know." She offered.

"Of course he would." Ino said in a mocking tenor.

"Why you….."

"So what's the next step?" Ino said, once again interrupting Sakura's tirade.

"I'm supposed to pop in on their dinner tonight." She said in a slightly timid voice.

"Oh, well that's an amazing plan." Ino declared excitedly. "But of course I wouldn't expect anything less from **my** Sasuke-kun."

"So you think this is gonna work?" Sakura questioned hopefully.

"Of course, it'll work." She paused. "he's so gonna kill you." She finished with a big smile.

"Me getting killed is not a good thing you MORON."

"Good God Billboard don't you even listen when I talk? I just said that if you die, I get Sasuke-kun. How is that not great?"

Face palming, Sakura just walked away.

.

"What did you just say, dear?" The Uchiha Matriarch questioned with a motherly smile.

Sasuke who was sitting across from her on the breakfast table looked thoroughly unperturbed as he repeated himself, this time at a louder volume for his brother who just sat down to hear.

"I said, mother, that I need you to make arrangements for an extra person for dinner tonight." He said in monotone, casting a sidelong glance at his brother who didn't seem to be paying any attention to the conversation.

"Oh, but your father isn't expected back for a week my dear."

"It's not for father."

"Oh, Naruto's coming for dinner then?"

"Not really."

"Who are we expecting then, dear?"

"My new girlfriend."

"Oh."

**Next chapter: Itachi meets Sakura and the real story begins.**

**Please Review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I made this chapter extra-long as a New Year's present. I hope you guys like it.**

Just a few minutes after sun down three shapes made their way past the gates of the Uchiha compound. The Uchiha security guards looked a bit bemused as they offered their greetings, and in a second the three were past the gates and making their way towards the most famous, if not infamous, house in Konoha; the Uchiha manor: home to the main family of the Uchiha clan.

Their pace slowed down a bit as the one with the raven hair spoke.

"If he asks to talk to you alone, don't go with him." He said in monotone.

"If he offers you a drink, don't take it." The blonde one chipped in with an uncharacteristically serious tone

"If he asks you any question, regardless of how harmless it sounds; say you don't know." The raven added as an afterthought.

"If he offers to shake your hand, say you're allergic." Pitched the blonde, earning himself a glare from his raven haired best friend.

"Never be alone with him in the same room, there must always be witnesses." The raven spoke once again.

"Don't be fooled by any complements he gives you, it's for show so that when they find the body no one suspects him." Naruto said, and to Sakura's utter surprise Sasuke actually nodded in approval.

"Is he gonna kill me?" the pinkette questioned in horror.

"Don't wander off on your own as long as he's in the house." The raven pushed on completely ignoring her horrified question.

"If he corners you, don't hesitate to scream for help." He added evenly.

Now they were hesitantly walking through the Uchiha manor's front garden and slowly approaching the giant door that was emblazoned almost threateningly with the Uchiha symbol. Call her insane but the girl never noticed how frightening this clan was up until this very moment.

"And feel free to run." The raven said evenly.

"Run?"

"If you are ever afraid for your life." He said in a bored tenor, that could easily fool you into thinking that he was just discussing the weather. Hell, if he was discussing the weather he would probably show a bit more concern.

"Oh." Was all that Sakura managed, as she mentally banged her head against a brick wall. *Just great.* she mentally exclaimed.

And finally they were at the door, and the three instantaneously froze.

"Leave." Sasuke ordered the blonde.

"But, teme, I really wanna watch…."

"Now." Came the raven's command. The last thing he needed for this evening was an infuriating blonde whose idea about a nice subject for conversation over dinner, is to transform himself into a voluptuous woman and invite everyone to talk about it. Just the thought of him at the same dinner table as his mother and brother on a day like this gave Sasuke a migraine. "Leave." He added, causing Naruto who was preparing to argue to promptly close his mouth and pout.

"Fine." The future Hokage said childishly.

And just like that Sakura and Sasuke turned to face the door once again. However, before the girl could go into full panic mode, Naruto leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Don't look him in the eyes." He said in a deliberately haunting tone. "He's Eviiiiiiiiiiil." He added drawing out the word.

Sakura flinched, and Sasuke made to punch his annoying teammate but Naruto was wise enough to make a run for it.

A second passed in silence as the two just looked at each other, before Sasuke lowered his head slightly and rubbed the back of his neck, "It might be wise for you to not look him in the eyes." He said, slightly defeated.

Sakura blanched.

*Shit.* was all she could think, as Sasuke flung the door open, and dragged her in like a hypnotized zombie, cuz regular zombies are just too main stream.

The girl couldn't help but reflect on her life and marvel at the potential she had, *I could've done a lot.* She thought desolately. *I could've discovered a cure for every disease, I could've become the most powerful Kunoichi in…..*

*Who are you trying to fool?* Inner Sakura pitched in snidely. *The only ones you could've been of use for are the future 20 cats you would have adopted after eventually realizing that you're as much of a guy repellant as a woman walking around with a sign saying: "marry me, I'm desperate".*

Sakura twitched. *SHUT UP!*

However, before Sakura could contemplate taking Sasuke's advice to heart and making a run for it, a familiar and comfortingly smiling face, brought all her troubles and mental tribulations to a complete halt.

"Oh, Sakura, my dear." Sasuke's mother said, as she raced across their spacious living room. "I can't believe this is finally happening." She twitted happily, as she shifted her eyes between her son and his 'girlfriend'. "Oh, you two look great together, my dears." She finished throwing her arms around both Sasuke and Sakura in a genuine embrace that left Sakura feeling just a tad bit guilty for fooling the woman like this.

After all, it was no secret that Mikoto regarded Sakura as a daughter, and would've loved nothing more than to have her as one.

And just like that Sakura felt a lot more relaxed. It was the familiar feeling of coming to visit her friend at his house, a thing that she has done a few times before, and was always greeted by Mikoto's smiling face and superb cooking.

"Well Sasuke dear, why don't you show Sakura around the house, while I put the final touches on dinner." Mikoto offered smiling hospitably in a picture of cheer class.

Sasuke frowned slightly.

"She has been here before, mother." He said impassively.

"Yes dear, but she's only been in the living room. Now, she is your girlfriend, she is entitled to the full tour." She said flashing Sakura a huge smile, that made it clear that the Uchiha matriarch was loving this new development.

Sighing internally, because Uchiha don't sigh out loud; Sasuke gestured for Sakura to follow him up the stairs that lead to the second floor.

Mikoto smiled once again, "Take your time darlings." She declared, being the perfect hostess that she was.

Making sure that Mikoto was out of earshot Sakura spoke, "That was nice." She said with a relieved smile.

"She likes you." Sasuke stated matter of factly. "This was one of the reasons why you were the best candidate for this role." He added. "Her approval gives you far better chances than any of the other girls could possibly have."

Sighing Sakura voiced the question that was fluttering across her mind, "So, where is he?"

Sasuke paused raising his hand to open a door, "Probably at his house, he should be here in a few minutes." He said flatly.

"His house?" This was news to Sakura. "I thought he lived here with you guys."

Sasuke walked into the room, and Sakura's eyes travelled across with a knowing smile on her lips. *This is so Sasuke's room.* She thought, as she marveled at the fact that the walls were painted a characteristic navy blue color, and the room was free of any decorations. Actually, it had nothing but a round bed resting in the middle of it, a small desk resting under a window, and a small dresser that Sakura was certain was filled with nothing but a bunch of navy blue, Uchiha encrusted shirts, black pants, and a few very clean, keenly sharpened Kunai knives. And finally, stood a door to what Sakura knew would be a spotless bathroom.

"He has his own house." Sasuke said after allowing Sakura with enough time to take a look around his room, and then turning around and walking out expecting her to follow. "It is on the other side of the Uchiha compound." He paused escorting her across the corridor and into another room. "He moved there two years ago. Mother, however, is really unhappy about it."

"She didn't want him to move?"

"Hn." He paused flinging another door open and walking in. "She wanted him to stay here until he gets married. That's why she constantly bothers him about coming here for all of his meals, and whenever he is here she makes it a point of asking him to spend the night in his old room." He finished turning the lights on so that Sakura could see the room they just entered.

Sakura's eyes widened.

*Wow.* She and inner Sakura exclaimed in tandem.

The room was painted black, a deep black that was both unnerving and uncannily comforting. Even the ceiling and the floor were covered in black. For their part, the walls were emblazoned with random crimson carvings that seemed to shine in contrast to the otherwise dark room. And it was almost as empty as Sasuke's room, expect for the fact that Kunai and swords hung threateningly on the walls, and instead of a dresser, a sole hanger stood there supporting a full Anbu uniform complete with the mask.

And finally, the room was eerily devoid of windows. And in the middle of it was the sole item of furniture, a king-sized bed draped in silken black sheets that Sakura found both ridiculous and impossible to resist. She wanted to touch them. She just had to.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Came a husky voice from the doorway that caused Sakura to quickly draw her hand away from the sheets and Sasuke to stare blankly at the new arrival.

Sakura blinked owlishly for a second, before her heart beat slowed down at realizing that this wasn't the Uchiha that she expected.

"Shisui." Sasuke said/greeted in a bored tenor.

Ignoring his cousin, Shisui continued to look at Sakura with an amused expression. "If you touch them, he'll know." He told her in an easy tenor. "You'd be surprised at how serious he takes his black sheets." He added, walking forwards so that he was a few inches away from the girl. "If you want, though, you can touch _my_ sheets." He finished in an inviting tenor.

Sakura blushed, eyes widening in surprise.

"Shisui!" Sasuke hissed, causing the lighthearted new comer to turn around and raise an eyebrow. "Sakura, this is my cousin Shisui." Sasuke introduced them out of sheer well-bred manners rather than courtesy. "Shisui, this is my _girlfriend_, Sakura." He added, stressing the 'girlfriend' part.

"Oh." The elder Uchiha said, flashing a brilliant boyish smile, as he turned around once again to face Sakura.

"Very nice to meet you, Shisui-san." She said politely.

What she didn't expect however, was for him to greet her polite declaration with a childish pout.

"Shisui-san." He parroted. "Come on, Saku-chan, you can call me Shisui." He said winking at her flirtatiously. "Or better, yet, call me 'handsome'."

Sakura laughed despite herself. "I'll call you Shisui." She said laughingly.

He pouted again. "Hey, are you saying that I'm not handsome? Cuz I'll have you know I have depositions from over 100 girls stating that I'm the most handsome man in Konoha; more handsome than both Sasuke and Itachi combined." He finished haughtily, and to Sakura's utter surprise he actually had a bunch of papers in his hand.

"How much did you pay for that?" Sasuke questioned.

"A lot." Shisui said without missing a beat. "It is worth it though, cuz now I have proof that I'm the most handsome Uchiha." He said haughtily, throwing a wink Sakura's way.

Sakura laughed again. "So you actually paid some girls to write this?" She questioned mid giggles.

"Those, my lovely Saku-chan are the depositions of the women I have been with. Statements written by every girl I have dated, I put in time and effort into picking out some of the most beautiful ladies in Konoha, and then charming them into going out with me and writing those testaments." He said puffing his chest out in a picture of manly manliness. "Here, wanna read?" He said, offering her the papers.

"Nope, I'm good." She said waving a hand in front of her face. "Umm, so you actually dated 100 women?" She questioned in shock. He seemed rather young, barely 6 or 7 years her elder, how on earth could he have found the time to date 10 let alone 100 women. God knows she can't find time to even have a decent dinner with someone.

"Yup." He said beaming, obviously thrilled at having been given the opportunity to flaunt this in his younger cousin's face. Said younger cousin simply glared at his cousin as he spoke next. "Today, my little Saku-chan I have ended my relationship with the 100th girl."

"Oh." Sakura said in awe. "H-How do you find the time to….."

"Well, my little Saku-chan, this isn't a very time consuming task. I mean, this last relationship lasted almost 7 hours." He said with a lecherous wink.

"O-Only 7 hours." Sakura muttered, completely oblivious to what he was insinuating about the true and strictly sexual nature of his relationships. "How can you date a girl in only 7 hours?"

Shisui looked offended, "Saku-chan, how could you say that? I'd have you know that they were 7 straight hours, I didn't even pause for a drink of water or a….."

"What are you doing here, Shisui?" Sasuke said opting to stop the conversation before Shisui says something graphic enough to traumatize not only poor Sakura but Sasuke as well. For her part, Sakura blushed a deep shade of pink, when she finally realized what the elder Uchiha was talking about. *when he says that he has dated 100 women he means that he _slept_ with 100 women you moron.* Her inner chastised.

Shisui grinned at his cousin, "But of course little cousin, I'm here to show you the ultimate proof of my handsomeness." He declared brandishing the papers.

At that, Sasuke felt an urgent need to roll his eyes.

"However, I didn't know that I would be lucky enough to meet such a beautiful lady, here. If I knew, I might have saved the 100th spot, just in case." He said in a seductively husky tone, kissing Sakura's hand, and causing the girl to blush, and Sasuke to race across the room and snatch her hand out of his.

This surprised Sakura to no end. Hell, even Sasuke was surprised at his actions; however, he opted to glare at Shisui, instead of showing his surprise. He then grabbed Sakura's arm and started dragging her out of what is obviously Itachi's room.

Shisui pouted.

"Wait, come on, if you wanna leave then leave, why are you taking cute little Saku-chan with you?" He whined, however, Sasuke merely dragged Sakura down the stairs completely ignoring his cousin.

In any other situation, Sakura would've lashed out on her teammate for treating her like a little girl and dragging her around like she had no say in the matter. However, she was way too confused and embarrassed to even consider arguing.

In a second, though, Sakura felt the need to speak up, given that Sasuke was moving at such an insane speed that she was finding it exceedingly difficult to keep up with him.

But before Sakura could open her mouth to speak; everything appeared to be going down at the same time, and Sakura's brain went into slow motion as she watched like a guy about to get into a car accident that he has absolutely no way of avoiding.

It started with Shisui suddenly flashing in front of the hastily moving Sasuke right as he was about to get off the last step of the staircase. Sasuke, who was taken by surprise, managed to avoid his cousin at the very last second, forcefully dragging Sakura with him as he parried. By this point Sakura lost her balance and Sasuke released his grip on her arm, so that the girl reeled forwards at full speed fueled by sheer momentum. In a second she found herself face to face with Sasuke's mother, who just emerged from the kitchen carrying what appeared to be a giant bowl of very hot soup.

Sakura, going into full panic mode, spun on her ankle to try and avoid impact with the woman. This caused her to lose all semblances of balance and to launch sideways, ready to make violent impact with the floor.

Hearing Mikoto worriedly call her name, Sakura prepared for the nasty fall, watching from the corner of her eye as both Sasuke and Shisui raced forwards to try and save her, however, she knew way too well that it would be too late.

Firmly closing her eyes; Sakura made to raise her arms in the very last second to shield her face, but she knew it was too late for that too.

A split second later, came the impact.

*Wait a minute.* Sakura mentally exclaimed. *This didn't hurt.*

Moving her head slightly, Sakura felt soft fabric, and a sense of warmth pressing against her cheek.

The girl raised her head slightly, and out of sheer curiosity she opened her emerald eyes only to be greeted by a sight of two stunningly onyx orbs, causing her breath to hitch in her throat as she realized who currently had his arms around her.

"Itachi, dear." Mikoto greeted in obvious relief. "Nice timing." She finished with a brilliant smile, which came as a blatant contrast to the look of sheer horror etched on the faces of both Sasuke and the now wide eyed Sakura.

Shisui merely smirked, as he watched Sasuke quickly hide his surprise.

"This is my girlfriend." He said bravely. "Sakura." He added belatedly.

Itachi who's never broke eye contact with the girl since the very first second she looked up, brought his hands up to the girls shoulders, and pushed her away from him only slightly to give her a thorough once over.

Sakura froze in place, only now realizing that she has been leaning fully against **the** Uchiha Itachi.

*What a great first impression you make.* Came inner Sakura's distant sarcastic remark. However, Sakura was too busy panicking, as she watched Itachi survey every inch of her body with his now slightly crimson eyes. And for the life of her, the girl never felt her heart beat faster than she did at the moment.

In a second though, Itachi pushed her off of him completely. And his eyes left her small frame only to establish contact with his brothers' for the briefest of seconds, before he merely walked away, without uttering a word to the girl.

The Anbu captain made his way with steady steps towards the dining room; he was followed shortly by a diabolically smirking Shisui and a genuinely happy Mikoto who was thanking Shisui for taking the bowl of soup from her hand, as she declared that dinner was served.

Both Sakura and Sasuke froze looking at each other in disbelief. This wasn't by any means how they expected her introduction to Itachi to be. Sasuke, for his part envisioned himself victoriously introducing Sakura to his brother, as his brother twitched with pent up anger at not being able to shoo her away. Of course he knew that given how stoic his brother really was, this fantasy was almost impossible, but one could dream.

And when it comes to Sakura, she expected some sort of reaction, one other than her heart fluttering as she falls helplessly in Itachi's arms. *Too much for teaching him a lesson, hah?* Sakura pondered dejectedly.

*The hell with teaching him a lesson,* Inner Sakura declared, her eyes glistening with a spooky gleam. *How hot was that!* She exclaimed dreamily.

Sakura glared at her inner self.

"Well." She started, addressing the dumbstruck Sasuke.

"Yah." He concurred, before the two of them started making their way towards the dining room.

"Ah, come on my dear." Mikoto said extending her arm for Sakura, who made her way across the ridiculously huge dining room to sit in the empty chair next to the Uchiha clan's leading lady who was sitting at the head of the giant table. For a second Sakura paused to catch her breath and wonder at who on earth has a dining room that big, hell, it was bigger than the Hokage's meeting hall.

Finally arriving at where the woman sat with both Itachi and Shisui sitting on her right; Sakura took her seat on the woman's left and uncomfortably faced an uninterested Itachi, with Sasuke slipping silently next to her to sit opposite from Shisui.

"Come on, dig in." She said gesturing for the 4 of them.

Sakura stifled a sigh, as she watched as the Uchiha matriarch proceeded to fill her plate for her.

"Here you go my dear." She said with a genuine smile, and for a second there Sakura could actually feel Itachi's eyes on her, but when she looked at him she found him still looking away.

"So, tell me you two," Shisui started in a rather mischievous tone. "How did you meet?" He questioned.

"Oh, dear," Mikoto chose to answer. "Sakura-chan has been Sasuke's teammate ever since they were children." She declared happily.

Shisui grinned raising an eyebrow. "Then how am I just meeting her now?" He said addressing the question to Sasuke.

"You had no business meeting her." He said levelly. However, Sakura couldn't help but be a bit bemused.

Sasuke did in fact go the extra mile to keep her, and Naruto for that matters, away from his family. This is why; this was one of the few occasions she actually witnessed him interacting with them. She silently laughed, as she pondered the snippy way Sasuke seemed to always respond to Shisui; for the life of her Sakura didn't know that there was someone other than Naruto who could get on Sasuke's nerves like that.

As a response to Sasuke's statement Shisui's grin actually grew. "Ooooh, you've been hiding her from me all this time weren't you baby cousin? Someone's jealous." He said with a suggestive wink.

Mikoto laughed and Sasuke twitched.

"Sasuke just doesn't like mixing work with personal life." Sakura spoke without even thinking. It was a habit of hers to jump to her teammates' defense even when they weren't really being attacked.

This time Itachi actually shifted his gaze to her, but the girl was too busy looking at Shisui's bemused expression.

"Is that so Saku-chan?" He said laughingly.

"Oh, that is true." Lady Mikoto chipped in. "He takes after his father and brother when it comes to that." She said throwing a gaze Itachi's way. "That's why I never really know anything about the people they work with." This time her tone was almost reprimanding. "But thankfully, I have known Sakura-chan since they became a team. To tell you the truth, I've always hoped for this day to come. I could never wish for anyone better to be with my son, than my dear Sakura." She twitted.

Sakura blushed slightly, Sasuke looked positively glowing, Shisui smirked and Itachi looked as uninterested as a person could possibly seem without being asleep.

And the rest of the meal was spent just like that; Mikoto serving Sakura both food and complements, while Shisui subtly hits on her and Sasuke alternates between glaring at Shisui and looking smug with himself; and for his part Itachi ignored them all. And when Mikoto-sama addressed him with any statement he just gave the Uchiha patented 'Hn' as a reply and proceeded to actively ignore them.

By the end of dinner Sakura was shocked to realize that she hasn't even heard the Uchiha's voice. Neither has she exchanged a look with him ever since he caught her before she fell. He didn't talk to her, he didn't look at her, and he didn't even remotely acknowledge her presence.

And In 45 minutes, Sakura had to excuse herself,

"Oh darling Sakura, stay for a while, we haven't had tea yet." Mikoto said solemnly.

"I am so sorry Mikoto-sama." Sakura said bowing sincerely. "Today is the first day of my night class and I have to arrive early."

"The night class dear? I thought you were done with your studies."

"Sakura will be teaching advanced Medical Jutsu and treatments starting today." Sasuke said, having realized that a boyfriend will probably jump at an opportunity to boast about his girlfriend's achievements. He wasn't one for mushy stuff like that, but he figured that it will solidify his win even further.

Sakura smiled. "Yes, Tsunade-Shishou asked me to take on this class, since she is too busy to teach it this time around."

Mikoto frowned. "Tsunade is a dear, but I don't know what she would do without you and Shizune." She said taking a shot at her old friend. "Have a great first class dear." She finished in a motherly tone.

"Thank you, Mikoto-sama." Sakura said bowing again, and flashing a smile. "Thank you for having me." She added before addressing a smile to Sasuke and bowing to both Shisui and a still impassive Itachi and turning to leave.

For his part, Sasuke allowed himself to relax slightly in his chair. He might not have won the war yet but at the very least for the first time in his dating life, he has invited a girl over and she didn't run out of the house in tears or get carried out strapped to a stretcher because medics deemed it necessary to protect her from herself.

However, when the younger Uchiha caught the look exchanged between his brother and said brother's best friend, he couldn't help but be _a little_ worried for Sakura's safety. I say _a little_ because Uchiha just don't freak out at the realization that their best-friend/ make-believe girlfriend is about to be violently murdered.

Oh, wait, this does seem like a good time to start freaking out.

.

**30 Minutes before the Uncannily Peaceful Dinner:**

Hidden in the shadows, a dark figure watched as three friends stood in front of the door to the Uchiha's main house whispering conspicuously.

A second later another shape flashed in to stand behind him.

"Well that was a little harsh." Shisui spoke in a lighthearted tenor. "You would never poison her drink; it's so not your style." He declared in an easy baritone. "But at least they're giving her fair warning."

Itachi merely raised an eyebrow as he turned slightly to regard his friend.

At that Shisui produced a bunch of papers out of nowhere and handed them over to his cousin, who was apparently expecting them.

A few seconds passed, and the Anbu captain leafed through almost 100 papers with supernatural speed.

"Is that all?" Itachi questioned.

"Yup." Shisui said with a nod. "That's everything they have on Haruno-Sakura." He paused for a second, watching the girl and his younger cousin walk through the door. "She is quite good looking." He remarked unable to break free from his lecherous nature. "You've got your work cut out for you this time; she's his teammate, and your mother loves her. Oh, yah, and she's freakishly powerful. Apparently, she's the Hokage's apprentice and they say she's inherited the woman's flammable temper." He finished rubbing the back of his head and involuntarily cringing at what seems to be a particularly painful memory.

"Hn." Was all Itachi said, as he watched the door close.

"What's your plan?" Shisui said thoughtfully. "Are you gonna ruin dinner as always?"

"This requires more of an indirect approach." Itachi said monotonously.

"So…" Shisui questioned.

"Go inside and get to know her." Itachi ordered, his eyes not leaving the now closed door, as if he could still see the girl through it. "Gather as much information about her as you can."

"But I wasn't invited to dinner." Shisui said with a pout as if trying to make his cousin feel guilty.

At that Itachi merely raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, I'm going in." Shisui said pumping a fist in the air in macho enthusiasm. "How about you? What are you going to do?"

"Nothing."

"What."

"You heard me." Itachi said in a calm tenor. "Her main interest in life appears to be her work." He added finally tearing his eyes away from the door to look at his cousin. "And that's where the attack needs to occur." He finished.

"Sometimes, you scare me." Shisui said with a sigh.

"Sometimes?" Itachi questioned amusedly.

Shisui laughed, before grinning at his cousin, "Only sometimes." He said haughtily.

"Impressive." Itachi said, before gesturing for his cousin to go inside.

**End of Flashback. **

**.**

Sakura walked into Konoha's main hospital where she works. She quickly put on some scrubs and topped her outfit off with her beloved white coat, and all of a sudden she was feeling like the incomparable medic that she always wanted to be.

She promptly walked over to the hospital's thirteenth floor that has been transformed into giant halls to give room for classrooms. She was really excited about this particular class. Not just because it was her first time teaching and she wanted to make a good impression and be known as the best teacher around, but also because this wasn't a class of medical students, it was a class of regular shinobi who wanted to know more about medicine to better their performance on the field. And this to Sakura was much better, simply because she could have free reign with the curriculum and she could experiment with various battle situations and on field medical emergencies, which is something she could never do with a class of regular med. students. Just at the thought of this class, Sakura found herself smiling like an idiot, as she pushed the anxiety and anticipation away and assured herself that she'll do great.

"Good afternoon, Hana-chan." She greeted the young blonde nurse who was assigned to assist her with the class.

The girl smiled back at the hospital's top medic. "Good afternoon, Haruno-senpai."The girl said in an almost military salute.

Sakura sweat dropped, before moving to open the door.

"Ah, Senpai," The girl spoke causing Sakura to stop mid motion and turn towards her. "The whole class has already arrived." She declared before looking at the chart in her hand. "Oh, yes, they're all here except for the new student."

"New student? I wasn't informed about a new student." Sakura said shaking her head.

The girl's smile wavered a bit, she was the nervous type, Sakura could just tell.

"Oh, ah, I mean….." She murmured. "This student just signed up with a personal recommendation from Tsunade-Sama."

"Oh. I see." Sakura said formally. "Who is this student?"

"I don't know. I… I was just informed that there is an extra student." She said nervously.

*Not helpful at all.*

"Alright, so where is this student?" Sakura questioned, the teacher in her taking charge.

"Right here." Echoed a velvety smooth lilting tenor from behind her that made the two girls jump and quickly turn around.

Sakura's jaw dropped.

"I-I-I-It-Itachi-Sama." Hana said, before blanching and passing out on the spot.

Itachi looked amusedly back at Sakura, who was contemplating following the girl's lead.

*Yup, we're screwed.* Inner Sakura stated matter of factly, as she watched Itachi walking slowly towards Sakura.

.

**Hehehe, Yup, he's her student now… Who else feels trouble approaching at a deadly speed ;).**

**What do you guys think of Shisui? For some reason I love writing him into stories :D He's just too cool and Itachi is a bit too scary isn't he? Oh well? If he ain't scary he ain't Itachi I guess. **

**Please Review; I'm really interested to know what you guys think of how the story is progressing so far.**

**And last but not least happy New Year ;) Start your year on a happy note you guys! It sets the tone for the whole year ;) **


	4. Chapter 4

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG,

Sakura twitched.

_Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me, Notice me,_

*Well he is really hot.* Inner Sakura weighed in.

*Really!*Sakura bit angrily. *That's all you have to say about the guy who just ruined my class.* She said in a sardonic tone.

Sakura inhaled sharply, resting her palms on top of the teacher's desk at the front of the class and bowing her head so that her pink hair obscured her face. She abandoned her square and very formal teacher's posture for a second as she allowed her mind to wander. It's not like anyone in the class is looking at her or anything.

Suddenly finding herself naked in front of the class was something she thought about. Suddenly finding herself naked in front of the class and having Ino there to point at her and laugh was also a possibility that she hasn't neglected. She has also pondered a scenario where she forgets everything she ever learnt about medicine and fails to answer any question, and another where she loses her voice mid-sentence and screeches her way through the lecture as people laugh their assess off. And of course there was always the possibility that unidentified alien life forms would come barging into the class, confiscate her class notes as documents of interest and declare her classroom as the capital of their rule on earth.

Yup, she's considered it all. Or so she thought. What she never thought could happen though, and would never have thought of it not in a million years and not after a whole night of drinking her favorite Sake; was for none other than Uchiha Itachi to hijack her class.

Sakura twitched at the thought and flinched slightly as a new wave of squeals broke across the classroom this time because Itachi did the impossible and actually moved a muscle.

The girl sighed.

After startling the hell out of her, Itachi sauntered into class without saying anything other than that he was in fact the new student. Not that she was in any condition to ask him questions, the dumbstruck fool she was.

She followed him shortly into class, but her presence went unnoticed as all the eyes fixated on the Adonis-like Uchiha captain walking in like he owned the place.

At the sight of him, some girls (And a few guys) fainted, others squealed real loud and yet a few others were just petrified. As for the guys; some were really scared that they contemplated making a run for it, others were dumbstruck, and of course a few were love-struck as they watched the cool headed captain take his seat like the commotion had nothing to do with him.

All eyes were on him, to such an extent that no one noticed Sakura walk in just behind him, no one wondered at why she was dragging an unconscious nurse into class. And no one even noticed when Sakura put the poor nurse down on a chair, and started talking to them.

Yup, she was completely ignored for the last fifteen minutes and all her attempts at catching the class's attention went unnoticed as everyone and I mean everyone was looking at the Uchiha.

Sighing again, Sakura marveled at the fact that those people have actually forgotten about class all together. For them this was Uchiha time: the only chance they might ever get to look at Uchiha Itachi without having their eyes gauged out.

And for his part Itachi was as chill as a person could possibly be. Sitting back in his chair with one hand flung casually over the back of his seat and his eyes firmly fixed, if not rather shamelessly on the figure of the exasperated medic standing in front of the class.

And that was pretty much why Sakura was looking down.

*He's too hot.* Inner Sakura commented, fanning herself with her hand and looking tired.

*He's intimidating.* Sakura corrected.

*Yah right, that's why you can't look him in the eyes.* She said sarcastically. *It's because he's intimidating and not because the last time you raised your head you noticed how chiseled his chest seemed to be from underneath that tight black t-shirt of his or how…*

Inner Sakura's perverted dreamy ramblings were interrupted as Sakura attempted to glare a hole through her head.

*How can you say such a thing?* Sakura said/shouted. *This man just ruined my class and all you have to say is that he's hot.* She added pointing an accusatory finger at her alter ego.

*Well it's your fault that your class is ruined. You don't have it in you to take control of it. So why would I waste my time worrying about that, when I could be fantasizing about THAT.* She finished producing a poorly drawn picture of Itachi and proceeding to drool all over it.

And much to inner Sakura's surprise, Sakura actually calmed down. *You're right.* She said in an eerie calm voice, that caused inner Sakura's eyes to leave the paper on instinct as she felt like she was in eminent danger.

*A… I am?* the inner questioned cautiously. *Are you gonna join me in fantasizing about him too?* She questioned hopefully.

*No.* Sakura said in a saccharine sweet voice that she only used when shit was about to go down. *You were right when you said that it is me who is at fault here. I didn't want to start class on a bad note and I am intimidated by him.* She admitted. *But the hell with it all!* She roared.

And thus the whole class couldn't help but shift their attention hurriedly to the front as a surge of very dangerous Chakra manifested itself almost palpably in the room.

Eyes widened as they watched pink hair flutter around very angry emeralds and a deceptively small palm fly with impossible speed towards the teacher's desk only to snap it in half and cause a crack in the floor.

Sakura's students collectively gulped, more so when her demeanor made it clear that the girl was holding back a lot more than she has just shown.

And without having to utter a word, all chatter stopped and everyone moved to claim their seats. And in less than a second the attention of the whole class was fixed on the petite medic with the murderous glare and chillingly sweet smile.

"Welcome to your first Advanced medical Jutsu's class." Came a very calm greeting that scared the hell out of the whole class.

And despite herself Sakura had to throw a look Itachi's way, a look that roughly translated into: 'look what I have just done'.

However, her unspoken statement was cut short when her eyes connected with his. And for a second she lost her train of thought in the grasp of those very calm onyxes, to be snapped out of her trance only when the anbu captain smirked at the medic.

Sakura frowned looking away from him in an almost childish manner. And completely missing the bemused look that Itachi gave her in response.

"So let us start by talking about the purpose of this class." Sakura declared, as she watched the entire class straighten up. "None of you are medics, yet you have studied medicine before and you are here to learn how to put that knowledge into practical use in various on field contexts." Came her very professional medic/teacher's voice, as everyone nodded their agreement with her statement. "This is why this class will be dedicated to going through various on field medical emergencies that you might face and then learning how to properly deal with them. Let us start the first scenario….."

Sakura was about to jump right into her curriculum when a hand flew into the air causing the entire class to look away in awe and Sakura to twitch slightly after steadying her heart which just skipped a beat.

"Yes, Uchiha-Taicho?" She said doing her best to keep her voice steady.

"You need to refresh the class's memory about the basics before delving into practical applications." He said impassively.

Sakura twitched with pent up rage as she took in the order-like fashion of his command.

"Uchiha-Taicho," She started in a deadly calm tenor. "I am the teacher in this class and I believe that what is needed is practical on field applications of what my students have previously learned." She said challengingly, now looking him square in the eyes, after all there are so many witnesses around for him to try anything. "This is because everyone in this room has already received a proper introduction to medicine."

Itachi looked completely unfazed by her tone and thoroughly unimpressed. "Your students have long since forgotten about the basics of medicine." He said mater of factly. "As their teacher you are required to provide them with accurate reminders of what they have forgotten." He added deliberately shifting his eyes away from the girl and towards the class occupants.

And in a second the entire class were nodding their approval and voicing complaints about not remembering anything.

"Uchiha-Taicho is right." Came the approval of a redheaded Jounin named Karin. In retrospect Sakura never really liked this girl. "I don't remember a thing." She said in a challenging tenor.

*He just ruined your lesson plan for the entire semester.* Inner Sakura said in awe. *Respect.* She said bowing to him. Having dedicated her virtual existence to annoying Sakura, inner Sakura lived for moments like this.

Sakura's face flushed red with rage as her hand came crashing on the remnants of her poor desk.

"I said we will be covering practical applications." She said, her stubborn nature getting the better of her.

Itachi eyed her calmly for a moment, "In that case; this class is useless." He said haughtily, before getting to his feet.

And once again the entire class followed.

"SIT." Came Sakura's growl that caused all the students except for Itachi to sit down instantaneously.

Itachi turned around and looked the girl square in the eyes. And fueled by intense anger, Sakura held her grounds valiantly willing herself not to falter under his intense gaze, which went against all of her survival instincts.

In the meanwhile, all the students were unconsciously holding their breath in disbelief. Someone was actually challenging the Uchiha heir; the most dangerous man in Konoha.

Between her raging fury and his calm composed deadly demeanor the students felt like they were about to be crushed.

And in a second their disbelief escalated exponentially as Itachi smirked and calmly reclaimed his seat.

Sakura's victory was short lived though as Itachi gave her a challenging look.

Sighing Sakura spoke. "For the coming two weeks I will be refreshing your memories about the basics of medicine that you have previously studied. After that we will proceed to cover the practical applications previously scheduled. And since this wasn't planned, you guys are dismissed for today." She said in defeat.

.

"I see you have returned." Ino greeted Sakura as the girl walked into her office. Since the two started working together in the hospital, having Ino sneak into her office became an everyday occasion for Sakura.

"Very perceptive." Sakura bit snidely. She really wasn't in the mood for anything at the moment.

But before Ino could get around to making a comment about how rude Sakura was, she was silenced by the angry look on Sakura's face.

"I HATE HIM!" She growled causing Ino to flinch and take a few steps back. "He just marched into my class and made it his own." She screamed. "It's as if he has declared Uchiha appreciation day or something, everyone was looking at him as if he was heaven sent."

"Well," Ino interjected. "First of all, I won't scowl like that if I were you, the last thing you need is frown lines. I mean haven't your big forehead suffered enough? Second, every day is Uchiha appreciation day honey; it's just the way it is. And last, I'm assuming you're talking about Uchiha Itachi and with looks like his, can you really say for sure that he's not heaven sent?" She reasoned.

Sakura frowned even more now balling a fist and taking a few steps towards her infuriating friend. "Ino-pig you're a lousy friend." She growled.

"Yare, Yare, Forehead, I'm just telling you the truth." She said waving a hand in front of her face. "I mean you're already ugly I can't let you be clueless too." She added in all honestly.

Fighting valiantly to restrain herself from punching her friend, Sakura turned away, "I'm going home." She said as she headed for the door.

"Wait for me." Ino said running after her. "I wanna know how your dinner with Sasuke-Kun went….. Waaaait Forehead, why are you walking so fast? What was he wearing? Teeeelll meeee….."

.

"Alright, so the dinner was fine but then he ruined your class." Ino surmised.

Sakura nodded. The two were quickly making their way to Sakura's apartment.

"He's a demon sent straight from hell to make my life miserable. He just Sauntered into my classroom cloaked in darkness and ruined everything."

"Well, at least he didn't kill you. I mean we all expected him to." Ino said wisely, as Sakura opened the door to her apartment.

"Surprise!" Ino yelled, while Sakura froze in place.

Sakura's eyes were fixed on the scene in front of her. She lived alone and she clearly remembered closing the door before she left, so why were all those people in her house?

"Wh-What's going on?" She mumbled incoherently to Ino, who was glaring at the people in the apartment for not yelling 'surprise' or taking notice of their arrival.

"It's a surprise party." Ino said tossing her hair backwards.

"Today is not my birthday." Sakura said confusedly.

"Yah, not exactly," Ino spoke while running a hand through her hair. "This is a different type of surprise party." She added enigmatically.

"What are you talking abou…" The medic began but was interrupted by a loud wail.

"She was the living embodiment of youthfulness. Her youthful beauty had the ability to destroy everything in its path. I guess she was too youthful for this world to handle." Spoke a spandex clad boy.

"I agree with you my boy. Youthfulness is a tricky matter. Sometimes those with overflowing youth can find themselves in danger of their own youthful spirit. This is why as Sensei and student we must work on controlling our youthful spirit so that it does not hurt us or anyone around." Came the sagely response of the other spandex clad mass, which was comforting the wailing one.

"Oh, but Gai senseiiiii….." Lee screamed before covering his eyes with his hands and proceeding to flood the place with youthful and free spirited tears.

Sakura blinked confusedly as her brain refused to arrive at the only logical explanation for the legions of people dressed in black and currently occupying her apartment.

"I'm really sorry for your loss." A young girl said, as she came up and shook Sakura's hand, before proceeding to say the same to Ino.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Came another guy, who Sakura never met in her life.

"Aren't they sweet?" Ino sang.

"What is going on here?" Sakura questioned worriedly.

"It's a funeral." Ino said in a nonchalant manner.

"I thought you said it was a surprise party." Sakura reasoned.

"It's a surprise funeral." Ino replied without missing a beat.

"Who's funeral?"

"Yours of course." The blonde said, before strutting into the apartment and claiming her spot in the limelight by producing a napkin and wiping a single tear in Hollywood like fashion. She then sighed dramatically drawing the attention of the whole room to her. And just like that, people flooded over to the blonde, surrounding her in an effort to comfort her.

"Sakura was my best-friend." She said dramatically. "I don't understand why this had to happen." She added raising her arms upwards in a why-God-why manner. "She was great; that is when you look past that big forehead of hers, her nonexistent sense of fashion, the holiday weight she never seems to lose, and that hair: Oh God that hair is like…. Oh, I mean yah, she was great." She finished once again with a fake sigh.

"We're so sorry for your loss Ino-chan." Tenten said comfortingly.

"Anything you need, we're all here for you." Kiba stepped in chivalrously.

"I AM NOT DEAD PEOPLE, I AM RIGHT HERE!" Sakura screamed from the door way, drawing the attention of everyone to her.

"GHOOOOOOOOST!" Lee screamed from the other side of the room, as he ran towards Sakura.

"I am not a ghost, Lee." Sakura said calmly.

"That's definitely what a ghost would say." He concluded sagely, as his sensei nodded in agreement with his student's flawless logic.

"I said, I wasn't a….."

"Oh, my, even as a ghost Sakura-chan is still youthful." Lee declared with tears streaming from his eyes.

"That is the highest level of youthfulness, Lee." His sensei offered. "We must all strive to be that youthful." He added wisely, as Lee nodded enthusiastically.

"I will run 100 laps around Konoha, to honor Sakura-chan's youthful ghost." He said while fist bumping the air, before running out of the apartment.

"I, Gai-sensei with all my macho manliness, will join you." His sensei declared before winking at Sakura and running out as well.

The entire room sweat-dropped.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru said as he made his way towards the door. "If you're not gonna die, then don't throw a funeral." He said, before rubbing the back of his head and walking away.

"It was rather obvious that she didn't die. The details of her death were very inconsistent." Tenten said wisely.

"Let's go to the training grounds." Neji told Tenten as he walked past Sakura. "This has been a waste of time." He finished with a sidelong glance at the Sakura as if this was all her fault.

"I'm glad you're alive, Sakura." Tenten said as she followed after him.

"This really wasn't funny, Sakura-chan." Kiba said crossly. "I was genuinely upset and Ino-chan was heartbroken." He added, shaking his head and completely ignoring Sakura's attempts to tell him that this wasn't her fault.

In a few seconds everyone in her living room did the exact same thing. Sakura just stood back looking at them and pondering the fact that she didn't know half of those people.

After everyone filtered out of the apartment Sakura spoke.

"You threw me a funeral…." She hissed walking towards a grinning Ino with every intention of punching her through a wall.

"Oh, come on, do you honestly think I care that much." Ino said rationally.

"Hah?"

And at that Ino just pointed towards Sakura's bedroom.

When Sakura opened the door, she was greeted by a very weird sight.

Kakashi-sensei sat on her bed reading his beloved orange novel. While Jiraiya-sama, the one and only author of said novel, was kneeling by the side of her dresser inconspicuously going through her panty drawer. The third occupant of the room, Sasuke, was merely looking out the window. The three were doing their very best to ignore the wailing blonde in the middle of the room.

Sitting on the floor, and hugging her skirt, with his head bowed, Naruto was sobbing like there is no tomorrow.

And Lying on the bed was an obviously unconscious Hinata, which was a commonplace sight whenever Naruto was around.

Speaking of Naruto,

"SA—KU—RA—CHAAAAAN. WHYYYYYYYYYY!" He screamed. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT TEME. YOU AND YOUR EVIL BROTHER KILLED SAKURA-CHAAAN."

"She's right there." Kakashi said simply, raising a finger to point at Sakura, his eyes not leaving the book, not even for a second.

Naruto stared, Sasuke calmly turned around, Jiraiya quickly let go of her underwear, and Hinata woke up for a split second, caught a glimpse of Naruto next to the bed and fell right back into sweet unconsciousness.

Sakura twitched.

"If you say 'Ghost' I'll kill you." She threatened, addressing Naruto.

"Hey, you're not dead." Naruto concluded smartly.

"What gave it away?" Sasuke said monotonously.

Naruto beamed, the sarcasm completely lost on him as he launched himself across the room and drew Sakura into a bone crushing hug. "You're aliveeee." He said happily as he shook her back and forth.

"This is what we have been telling you all day, Naruto-kun." Kakashi surmised, now looking at them and smiling apologetically at Sakura.

"Why?" Was all Sakura could manage as she was being crushed by Naruto.

The blonde let her go and beamed down at her. "Teme said that he was sure that his brother had something planned for you." Naruto explained smartly. "So I figured I'd throw you a big funeral and invite all of your friends just in case."

"I must say this was an amazing funeral Saku-chan." Jiraiya said in a husky tenor. "All those heartbroken ladies in need of a valiant knight to comfort them." He added, eyes lighting up at the memory.

Sakura glared at Naruto, thoroughly torn between punching him for his stupidity and hugging him for his good intentions. This was almost always the feeling she got around her pesky blonde teammate.

Sighing, Sakura sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hey, anyone up for funeral cake?" Naruto questioned, now that he was in a good mood.

"Funeral cake?" Sakura and Sasuke questioned tiredly as they watched the now relieved blonde run out of the room to get the funeral cake.

Kakashi shortly followed to keep an eye on him and Jiraiya did the same simply because he wanted cake.

The remaining two looked at each other.

"I would understand if you want to call our agreement off." Sasuke offered after taking in Sakura's tired appearance. He might not know exactly what happened but he sure knew his brother well enough to know that he's done something horrible.

Sakura eyed him tiredly for a second before smiling broadly.

"Hell no!" She declared.

Sasuke looked at her questioningly.

"Now it's personal." She said, getting to her feet. "I have to win this." She declared causing Sasuke's expression to lighten considerably.

"Now let's go get some funeral cake." She offered. "I wonder if it's coffee cake."

.

**I always wondered what a surprise funeral would be like. I also think that a surprise wedding would be cool. Imagine a guy walking in to find an altar and a girl in a white dress sauntering towards him as everyone screams surprise. That's the dream. If I ever get married I want it to be a surprise wedding. There's something magical about that I guess. **

**Hehehe… Anyone else up for it?**

**Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Now Sakura is about to get very serious about this. **

**Many thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter. I loved getting your input on this. **

**Until the next chapter…**

**Please Review. **


	5. Chapter 5

*This is nonsense.*

*No, it's not. This is the truth.* Pause. *I'm just saying that you could afford to be a better alter ego.*

*I am a perfect alter ego.* She said, looking affronted.

*You're a horrible alter ego.* Sakura corrected. *You are constantly putting me down and the only advice you ever give me is to run.*

*That's because I have common sense.* Inner Sakura reasoned.

Sakura shrugged, *an alter ego is supposed to be supportive not insulting. With your assistance I am supposed to become a better person.*

Inner Sakura looked incredulous, *I am an alter ego not a magician. I can't do the impossible.*

At that Sakura sighed.*You're incredible.?*

Inner Sakura beamed. *Yes. I. Am.* She said proudly.

*That was not meant as a complement.* Sakura pointed out exhaustedly.

*Says the girl who still hasn't figured out how to grow boobs.*

*I hate you.* Sakura growled.

Inner Sakura glared at her angrily. *I want a divorce.*

*We are not married you moron.*

Inner Sakura glared even harder.

*It's not like you're perfect either. As an alter ego I require certain things that you simply don't provide.*

*Name one.*

*Gladly.* Inner Sakura said with a dramatic bow and almost hit Sakura in the chin as she straightened back up. *You have no social life.*

*I always have work and…..*

*You never let us have fun.*

*I work from 9 to 5, and sometimes the nightshifts, I have trainings, missions and now class, how do you expect me….*

*You made us have pink hair.*

*What's wrong with our hair?*

*It is pink.*

Sakura unconsciously touched her hair.

*B-But…..*

*And,* inner Sakura interrupted enjoying the fact that she finally gets to air out her grievances. *You made us into spinsters.*

Sakura looked offended. *I am way too young to be a spinster.*

*Not in the shinobi world.* the alter ego accused. *And while your annoying blonde friend is on her 10th boyfriend; we never even had one.* Inner Sakura roared in pent up anger. *We only went on one date and it was a pretend one on a mission.* She added, voice faltering at the sad memory. *And even that date turned out to be awkward as hell.* She paused holding back tears. *And,* _sniff,_ *And,* _sniff_, *we've never even been kissed.* She wailed. *And now you've gone on and decided to challenge the hot-dangerous man and he's gonna kill us. I am gonna die a virginnnnnnn.* She finished, the last word somehow managing to echo off of the walls of Sakura's mind in a dramatic manner.

*Oh, come on we're not gonna die virgins….*

Glare.

*Fine, the way things are going; this is pretty much a valid possibility.* Sakura gave in.

Inner Sakura cried harder.

Sakura waved a hand in front of her. *Fine, fine, I promise I'll put some effort into solving the not-dying-a-virgin issue.*

Inner Sakura raised her eyes, looking hopeful.

*Would you also maybe put some effort into the looking-like-a-woman issue?* She suggested.

Sakura glared murderously at her.

*Well, you kinda need to look like a woman in order to get laid.* She said wisely.

Sakura glared harder.

*Ahem,* inner Sakura faltered. *Ano, where are we anyway?* She questioned opting for a diversion.

Sakura blinked.

*We're going to visit Ino. Remember, she asked us to stop by this morning.* She added as she knocked on Ino's door.

A second later the door flew open of its own accord.

Sakura blinked at the door, before taking a few cautious steps into the house.

Sakura has been in her friend's house many times before, courtesy of their shared interest in T.V shows, gossip, and ice cream. However, she has never witnessed the door magically flying open without anyone standing behind it before.

A second after Sakura stepped in; she covered her mouth with her hand and started coughing as a wave of smoke attacked her.

*incense.* She concluded.

She stepped in cautiously, especially since the room was pitch black, with the curtains draping over the windows in a successful attempt at blocking out day light.

*What is going on here?*

A few seconds passed, and her eyes started getting used to the lack of light.

Sakura once again had to blink her eyes in sheer confusion, for in front of her sat five girls wearing pink wigs with afro hair style. The girls were sitting in a circle on the floor around what appeared to be the source of the incense.

Before Sakura could react, however, a hand rested on her shoulder.

Sakura flinched, turning around quickly with every intention of attacking whoever was standing behind her.

She paused, however, when she was greeted by very familiar faces, wearing completely ridiculous wigs.

"Tenten, Hinata." She greeted, but it came out more like a question.

"Good morning Sakura-chan." The shy girl muttered sweetly.

"Hey Sakura," Tenten greeted. "Listen," She started in a business like tone, she really wasn't one for sweet greetings and small talks. "Ino told us about your deal with Sasuke and we decided to help you." She declared offhandedly.

"She told you?" Sakura questioned in outrage. Not that she didn't trust the two girls, but damn that Ino.

"Don't worry Sakura-chan we won't tell a soul." Hinata promised.

Sakura sighed.

"Well, what does this have to do with anything?" She questioned, wondering at the strange scene around her. I mean, how does strange women, weird wigs and suffocating incense factor into helping her.

"Oh," Tenten started excitedly. "Well, we're almost done with the preparations, just go inside and Ino will fill you in on everything." She added pointing towards Ino's room.

Sakura once again felt the need to heave a sigh as she headed for the room. *Well, at least I know that whatever it is that they're planning can't possibly be any weirder than Naruto's surprise funeral.* She pondered, trying to look at the bright side.

Pushing Ino's door open, Sakura walked in, this time into a well lit room. However, she was once again greeted by a weird sight. Ino, wearing another ridiculous wig, which just so happened to be a purple one, was kneeling on the floor with her hands raised to the sky and her back to the door.

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Dear God, I know that a lot of people out there are praying to be as beautiful as me. Cuz, let's face it; I am gorgeous. This is why I felt the need to take this opportunity to ask you to turn them all down." Ino paused mid prayer to fix her wig. "After all, you made me this beautiful for a reason; I am worth it. Those idiots aren't." She added solemnly. "Dear God, please don't accept their prayers when they ask you to make them more beautiful than me; cuz once again let's face it, I AM the benchmark when it comes to beauty." She then paused thoughtfully. "And finally, and most importantly God; if I can't be skinny, please make my friends look fat."

At that last part Sakura glared at Ino's back.

*That idiot.* Sakura roared mentally. *That's why I've had the feeling that I look fat all week.* She concluded irritably.

*Yup, that's why.* Inner Sakura cut in sarcastically.

Ino then got to her feet, looked into her mirror and beamed happily at her reflection, all the while completely oblivious to her pink haired friend, being treated to a rare glimpse at Ino's morning ritual.

Raising a hand to pat her purple wig, Ino's smile only widened, "I make this look good." She concluded proudly.

Despite herself Sakura snickered from the door way and Ino hastily turned towards her.

Realizing that it was Sakura, Ino looked anything but shy about what her friend just witnessed.

Raising an eyebrow, she spoke proudly, "Poor Forehead," She started. "You had to exist in my shadow all this time." She added compassionately. "But please…." Pause. "Please don't think of yourself as an ugly person; instead, do your best to think of yourself as a beautiful monkey. That will make you feel better." She finished, proud of her effort at making her friend feel better. And they claim she isn't nice, she was the definition of compassionate, damn it.

Sakura scowled, "When I snap…." She started. "You will be the first to go." She finished in a spooky voice.

Ino took a step back. After all, everyone expected that Sakura would in fact snap one day. The only question was: when. And given how powerful the medic was, and how easy she was to rile up; a threat like that was nothing that Ino could afford to take lightly.

She laughed nervously.

"I was joking with you, Forehead." She said with a fake laugh.

"Right." Sakura said, seemingly unconvinced. "Why am I here?" She questioned, opting not to pursue the subject any further.

Ino beamed, "Well," She almost sang. "Because you need my assistance." She said simply.

"No I don't."

"Yup, you do." Ino interjected. "You're just too dumb to realize it. But don't worry, as your much prettier friend who loves you; I am always here to help."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

" First, I don't need your help. Second, what on earth do you think I need your help with? Third, why the hell did you tell Hinata and Tenten my secret? And fourth, How is the crazy scene out there supposed to help me you idiot?"

Ino sighed obviously not amused by her friend's denseness.

"First, Yes you do. Second, with Sasuke-Kun's plan. Third, I kinda was drunk. And fourth, those are witnesses." She answered counting on her fingers.

"Witnesses?" Sakura parroted.

"Follow me." Ino offered, leading the way out of the room.

Ino stepped in the middle of her living room, where somehow a huge spotlight now shone, while the five girls were still kneeling in the darkened part of the room. And a second later she started talking like a crappy game show announcer.

"Well, my dear forehead, I have located those girls with the assistance of my two beautiful assistants here." She declared pointing at Tenten and a blushing Hinata who came to join her under the spotlight. "Those five lovely ladies -although not as lovely as me and could never even remotely compare- have all dated Sasuke-kun before… cough –Bitches—cough…" Ino looked completely unaffected by the glares she received from the girls in response. "And all of them were chased away, one way or the other, by his scary yet sizzling hot older brother."

"We thought if you talked to them, you could get ideas about what he might throw your way." Tenten offered, causing Ino to glare at her for interrupting her announcement and stealing her thunder. No one steals her thunder, damn it.

"And we brought them here so you can hear their stories." She said in her announcer's voice as if Tenten didn't just talk. "All five of them agreed to talk with you. And to protect their identities –so that Itachi-san doesn't kill them dead that is- they have been equipped with wigs."

"They are also sitting in the dark with their faces completely obscured." Tenten added throwing a sidelong glance at the blonde. Ino looked away haughtily.

"And they are sitting in the dark so you can't see their faces." She added once again as if they were her own words.

"That's actually a very smart move." Sakura said unable to hide how impressed she was. This was just what she needed to get the drop on Itachi.

"Let's talk ladies." Sakura said excitedly.

.

Sasuke was brooding.

Well, Sasuke was always brooding, so this might not be a big deal; but for all it's worth he was brooding a bit more than usual, if that's even humanly possible.

Can anyone really blame him? A second ago he was training with Naruto and focusing every ounce of brain power on kicking the blonde's ass. Which was, by far, Sasuke's favorite pastime.

But now, and simply because Naruto's perverted mentor Jiraiya happened to be passing by the training grounds; he was reduced to having to stand around and listen to what could easily be described as the stupidest conversation he's ever heard. Add to that the fact that the snake Sannin just so happened to be with Jiraiya as he passed by and the fact that Sakura was uncharacteristically late for their morning training session, and you get a very irate Sasuke ready to glare a hole through anything and anyone.

Absently the young Uchiha wondered as to whether he could train his sharingan to do that. Sasuke couldn't really imagine anything more therapeutic than being able to literally glare a hole through people.

"This is quite a serious problem." The toad Sannin declared as Naruto nodded fervently in approval.

"That's why I need your assistance ero-senin," He said/screamed, because Naruto always screams what he says. Which, as Sasuke noted, was: as annoying as a person could possibly get. "It has been more than a month now and I can't have more than two words with her." He whined.

Yes, girlfriends.

Naruto had one of those, and Sasuke had a make-believe one, who was still alive, for now.

"I see why you'd seek expert opinion on that," the sanin responded attempting to sound deep. "Tell me, my boy, how did you get together with the lovely Hinata-chan in the first place?"

"Well, I sent her a letter asking her out, and after a week she sent me a letter back with the word 'yes' crossed out and rewritten like a hundred times. She even writes shy." He remarked.

"It took her a week to respond?" Jiraiya wondered, having known forever that the girl liked his flamboyant apprentice. But in all fairness the entirety of Konoha save for Naruto knew that.

"Yea," Naruto affirmed. "Neji later told me that she was passed out for the whole week." He added dejectedly.

"Oh."

"That's why I need your help ero-senin. How can I keep her from fainting?"

"Don't talk to her." Sasuke offered.

Naruto glared at his friend.

Orochimaru silently watched the exchange.

"Well, this truly is a brainteaser." Jiraiya declared. "But luckily my boy that given my vast knowledge about the softer gender, I have the perfect solution for it," Jiraiya began, puffing his chest out proudly.

"What is it?" Naruto prodded excitedly.

"Sex." Jiraiya suggested bluntly. At that Naruto blushed, and Sasuke barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes, while Orochimaru threw a sidelong glance at Sasuke causing said Uchiha to suddenly get the urge to take a step backwards. "Come on my boy, girls are always very shy in the beginning. If you two have sex then…."

"Hit her on the head with a blunt object." Orochimaru deadpanned finally deciding to take part in the conversation. "That would make your task easier." The snake Sannin hissed.

Naruto blanched. "That's, that's….."

"No, No, nothing of the sort, the ladies are delicate creatures….." Jiraiya stepped in.

"I thought the objective was for him to have sex." Orochimaru reasoned.

"Well, hitting her on the head is a little bit extreme don't you think." The toad Sannin asked his childhood friend.

Orochimaru's tongue shot out as he licked his lips, looking deep in thought for a second. "Not really."

Jiraiya sighed.

"I'm not hitting Hinata-chan on the head." Naruto said in finality.

"Drug her." Orochimaru offered.

"That's rape." Naruto accused.

At that the snake Sannin looked at him with a blank expression on his face, as if he didn't even understand the meaning of the word. Actually he probably didn't.

"Here." Orochimaru offered as he magically produced a small vial containing a yellow substance and proceeded to make his way towards Naruto. "Put this in her drink."

"Orochimaru he's not going to drug the girl." Jiraiya interjected.

However, Orochimaru didn't stop. In fact he kept walking until he was standing in front of Naruto and Sasuke before stopping and offering the vial to Sasuke.

"Drink this Sasuke-Kun," The Sannin offered sounding like a pedophile. "Drink this; it will make you feel better." He added attempting to sound kind.

Jiraiya rubbed his head uncomfortably while Naruto gawked at the scene.

Sasuke scowled.

"I am not drinking your date-rape potion." Came the Uchiha's disturbed monotone.

Orochimaru blinked, or at least that's what Sasuke thought he did; you never know with those slit eyes of his.

"This is candy." He said feigning a cheery voice.

The perverted sage sweat-dropped.

Sasuke glared at the man for a second. Before turning around and walking away.

"Hey, Teme, where are you going? Aren't we gonna finish our training?" Naruto questioned confusedly. In all fairness he had absolutely no idea why his friend just refused to take candy. I mean granted it looked weird and it was in juice form but it was still candy.

"I have a clan gathering." He said before disappearing.

Naruto sighed. "Can I have some candy?" He asked Orochimaru.

"Don't even think about it." Jiraiya warned his apprentice. "Let's go Orochimaru." He added opting to drag his friend away before he tried to rape anyone else.

"B-But what about Hinata-chan?"

.

**Meanwhile in a Huge Garden Located in the Middle of the Uchiha Clan Compound:**

"Those things are so boring."Shisui complained.

Looking anything but sympathetic, Itachi merely stared off into space ignoring both his cousin and the monthly Uchiha family gathering that they were currently participating in.

Being used to his cousin's temperament Shisui merely pushed on. "I understand that Mikoto-sama wants everyone to spend time together and all, but don't you think that doing this on monthly basis is a little too much." He paused looking around the garden. "Well, at least the scenery is good." He looked at the bright side. "But seriously, if you had suggested that we make this a costume party like I asked you to, this gathering would have been much more fun."

"Hn."

"Or a maid themed gathering." The elder Uchiha mused, as he and his cousin made their way through the garden. He smiled at people, while Itachi merely nodded at the clan members who came to fervently greet him; he was the heir after all. "I could just imagine all those pretty ladies in maid costumes, serving us." He added winking at a few girls who were standing beside a tree and making eyes at Itachi. "Isn't this the best idea ever?"

"No." Itachi said simply.

Shisui pouted. "You're mean, little cousin." He accused. "Oh, speaking of little cousins; where is Sasuke?"

.

"Sasuke dear, please come down here; Sakura-chan is waiting for you." Mikoto called.

A very confused Sasuke stepped down the stairs. He just arrived from training and was changing into formalwear so as to attend the family gathering and for the life of him he had no idea why Sakura would be at his house at a time like this. Especially after missing their daily training session.

Arriving at where his mother and Sakura were talking Sasuke was greeted by one of his mother's disapproving looks.

"I can't believe you, dear." She said disappointedly. "How come you didn't invite Sakura-chan to the gathering?" She berated.

Sasuke didn't know what to say. And when he didn't know what to say, he simply said nothing.

Sakura smiled, "it's fine Mikoto-sama I'm…"

"No it is not my dear, you are his girlfriend now." Mikoto said determinately. "If you haven't come here by chance right now, you wouldn't have known about it." She paused throwing a disapproving look Sasuke's way. "I'll tell you what, why don't you head to the gathering with Sasuke and I'll be there shortly to introduce you to everyone?" She offered with a motherly smile.

"Of course." Sakura said smiling happily.

On that affirmative note, Mikoto skipped towards the kitchen to oversee dinner preparations.

Sasuke glared at his friend.

"What are you doing here?"

Sakura smiled at his apparent discomfort.

"I thought we agreed that we must find a way to get back at your brother for what he did to me."

Sasuke just looked at her waiting for her to elaborate.

"Well, I had a few errands to run in the morning, but when I got to the training grounds Naruto told me that today was the day of your clan gathering and that you had to leave." She explained. "And I figured that since your brother is sure to be here today; this would be the perfect opportunity for us to make our first public appearance as a couple."

Sasuke eyed her for a second.

"This is very dangerous, Sakura." He offered. It's not like he didn't want to beat his brother and finally show everyone that he has a girlfriend, but he couldn't help but marvel at the implications of challenging his brother like that.

She raised an eyebrow.

"I know." She said confidently. "But he pretty much ruined my class; and I have to pay him back in kind." She declared forcefully.

Sasuke drew in a deep breath. Yup, Sakura was very scary when she was angry. And that was pretty much what made her the perfect person to take on his brother.

"Fine." He finally said, barely restraining himself from smiling in excitement at this new development. I mean, it wasn't every day that someone challenges his brother like that.

*You're so dead.* Inner Sakura sang.

* * *

**Back in the Main Garden: **

"Well, that's interesting."Shisui declared drawing his cousin's attention to the approaching duo.

In response Itachi's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

*RUN!*

* * *

**Yup, Sakura's about to serve some sweet revenge. Or is she? **

**I hope you guys liked this one. **

**And sorry for taking too long. I'll do my best to put the next chapter up within the week to make up for it. **

**Next chapter has a touch of comedy and a lot of drama. **

**Please Review. **


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, Hey, look at that."

"Oh my God, who is she?"

"I..I don't know." The other girl stuttered. "M…Maybe the rumors are true, maybe she really is his….."

"Don't say it!" The other interrupted, looking frantic.

"Girlfriend…" She finished in a ghostly tenor, as the two Uchiha girls looked about ready to faint.

* * *

"I don't get it: if she was his girlfriend, wouldn't she be dead by now?"

"Yes, Itachi-sama could easily take her out." Pause. "W… why is she alive?"

* * *

"Look how she's clinging to him."

"Oh my, young people these days are too crass, you could just tell she's a slut."

* * *

"Pink hair….. Really?"

* * *

"She's ugly, what does Sasuke-Sama see in her anyway."

Pause, "I don't think she's ugly, I mean the hair's odd but I think it gives her a certain form of appeal….. OUCH! God damn it! Who punches people like that?... ahem….. Ugly, so very ugly it's inexplicable."

* * *

Sakura unconsciously moved closer to Sasuke, as she glared daggers right back at the women who were looking at her as if she was a convicted felon being escorted to her cell, not their second heir's girlfriend.

Seriously though, it wasn't just the Uchiha women that were like that. It seemed as if from the very moment word about her and Sasuke leaked out, women have started glaring at her like she was an underwear model licking an ice cream cone while looking dazzlingly skinny in a two piece bikini.

Before, Sakura was well aware of her teammate's popularity with the women of Konoha. Hell, she knew that most women have put him and his brother on top of the list of people that they're allowed to cheat on their partner with, if the opportunity presents itself and regardless of the partner. But, she would've never thought that those women would be that open about their animosity for his girlfriend.

It was bad.

To such an extent that she avoided going to places where women handled her food, just in case.

The bright side was that at the hospital everyone was rooting for their amazing sensei who just became a legend by snagging the Uchiha. However, this only lasted like a quarter of a day, until Itachi signed up for her class; and even her stanch supporters declared that this was just too unfair.

Thinking about this, Sakura sighed as she pondered the fact that a week ago, being on the receiving end of murderous glares like those would have put her Ninja senses on alert as she prepared to either defend herself or launch her own preemptive attack. But now she simply walked past the people, stopping from time to time to glare at them in response, simply because it was not in her nature to walk away from a staring contest.

"Wow." She muttered with a sigh.

"Just ignore them." Sasuke advised as he scanned the garden with his eyes quickly, looking for his brother and secretly assuring himself of the locations of the exits and the best hiding places around, just in case they need them.

Sakura nodded. "I really don't get it, though." She admitted.

Sasuke silently inclined his head towards her which was Uchiha talk for: 'what don't you get?'

"Well, thank you for asking." She teased. "What I don't get is why all of those women are miffed."

His response, merely a look, which Sakura's expertise helped her translate into: 'they're upset because I'm so freakin sexy it hurts.'

"Well, you're not that sexy." She responded bluntly. "I don't see it." She added giving him a once over just for good measure.

Sasuke glared at his friend.

Translation: 'I'm fabulous, darn it.'

Sakura laughed. Ever since she learned how to understand the Uchiha's secret language, i.e. the one he used when he was angry or irritable; she just couldn't help but tease him like that. Somehow, riling him up was incredibly fun, especially when he doesn't say a word in response.

"Alright, alright, you're quite handsome, I suppose." She admitted mid giggles. "But really, if they knew what they were getting themselves into, they would've thanked me for taking you off their hands." She teased once more unable to stop himself.

At that Sasuke stopped looking around and turned to his friend, blatantly glaring at her as they walked on. He was obviously trying to communicate a scathing retort without resorting to the arduous task of putting it into words.

"What?" She asked feigning obliviousness.

"You know what I mean." He accused.

"You didn't say a thing."

"You still know what I mean."

She smiled, "Use your words, Sasuke-kun." She advised.

He scowled.

"You are a moron." He enunciated.

"Well, you are not that handsome."

"That is a lie."

"Nope, it's not, you're like a 6 and a half, a 7 maximum." She accused.

Sasuke scowled once more. To say the truth, Sakura might be the only person in the world who could rile him up like that and bring out his petty side. She was also the only person who knew just how much pride he took in his flawlessly handsome good looks. Hell, why does he need friends, can't he just glare at inanimate objects? Said objects never once questioned his sexiness.

"I am a 10." He declared, voice still impassive.

The contrast between his voice and what he said cracked the girl up again.

"Whatever you say Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke frowned.

Yup, he can't let it go.

His handsomeness has been called into question by a girl with a ridiculous hair color.

"My hair color isn't ridiculous." She said, her Uchiha translator picking up on his last thought.

"It is, and I am handsome." He declared, this time not holding back.

"Such a blunt declaration, Ototo." Came a smooth voice, that caused Sasuke to gawk and Sakura to literally jump backwards.

A second later she gave an awkward cough, and took a step forwards to stand next to Sasuke, as Itachi watched on.

*Nice going.* Inner Sakura mocked. *Next time try squealing, that'll make you more intimidating.*

However, inner Sakura's words were lost on Sakura who was deep in thought. In the midst of their lighthearted rivalry, Sasuke and Sakura have walked right up to where Itachi and Shisui were sitting. She knows that now, since she found herself staring at a smirking Shsiui. A second later, she made yet another revelation; the two of them weren't sitting alone. They were sitting around a round table situated next to a giant Sakura tree, with three other men and a women. The four appeared to be very important people in the Uchiha clan, judging by their characteristic jet black hair, their ridiculously expensive clothing, and the haughty looks they were currently throwing Sakura's way.

All of a sudden the girl felt underdressed, as she scanned the occupants of the table. She simply wore her regular Kunoichi outfit, pink skirt, black boots and all. *Give me a break, I was supposed to be in training.* She reasoned.

However, her train of thought was interrupted as her eyes finally rested on the occupant of the table who was sitting nearest to where she and Sasuke stood.

Sakura blinked, unable to believe that she overlooked him a second ago in favor of looking at the other people at the table. She jotted it down to fear, as the way Itachi looked at the moment, alongside the amused expression on his face, made for an image that was anything but discreet.

*He doesn't look angry.* Sakura marveled, a little bit thrown off by his expression. *He seems amused.*

*That's because you literally just jumped backwards at the sound of his voice.* Inner Sakura explained.

*Ahem,* Pause. *Well, I'll show him.* She said in sheer determination.

*You've got to be kidding me.* Inner Sakura yelled, obviously upset with something. *Now, you're actually doing it on purpose.*

*Doing what?*

*Not taking notice of what's staring you right in the face.* The inner declared.

*Pardon? What are you talking about?*

*He's freakin hot, that's what I'm talking about.* Inner Sakura said crossly. *Look at him, LOOK AT HIM!* She yelled and Sakura couldn't help but comply.

The Uchiha was indeed a sight for sore eyes.

Leaning casually against the garden chair, Itachi donned an all-black suit with a white shirt and a black tie to match. His dark hair, in its customary ponytail rested idly on his right shoulder with a few strands loose enough to be blown around by the timid wind gusts.

His posture, his clothing, his unfairly handsome face and the unholy smirk gracing his lips, made for a surreal scene. How could she have missed this?

*You were trying hard not to look.* Inner Sakura explained. *Damn he's hot!*

Sakura's thoughts were similar. Yet, hot wasn't the word she would have used, the Uchiha looked like he was painted into the scene. It should be a sin to look that handsome.

*Wow.* She mentally marveled. *I mean… ahem…. I'll beat him.*

*Kiss him!*

*Shut up.*

*I really don't mind being killed by him, anyway.* Inner Sakura reasoned.

"Good morning." Sasuke said formally, and inclined his head slightly as he nodded to the table occupants.

Sakura blinked, at being brought back so abruptly to reality. *Can't we ogle him a bit more?* Inner Sakura whined.

"Aniki," he greeted his brother, "Shisui." He added out of courtesy. "This is Sakura." He said to the four occupants of the table.

"I'm Sasuke-kun's girlfriend." She added, having decided not to be thwarted by Itachi's good looks.

*He is our enemy.* She told inner Sakura who was about to protest.

At her declaration, the four guests appeared to flinch. Nope, they literally flinched, all four of them, throwing looks Itachi's way, as if to ascertain whether this was in fact true.

Itachi merely looked at the couple with an emotionless expression, as Shisui smirked like a Cheshire cat.

"Saku-chan, you look ravishing." He declared getting to his feet and offering her his hand to shake.

Sakura smiled.

*At least one of them is friendly.*

"Hey Shisui-kun." She greeted.

He grinned, still maintaining a hold on her hand. "My baby cousin is so lucky isn't he, Itachi?" He declared in an easy tenor.

"Hn." Was Itachi's reply.

"You look like a little kitten, Saku-chan."He declared, as he threw a look towards Sasuke, who was glaring darkly at him for still holding onto Sakura's hand. He might not truly be her boyfriend, but he alongside Naruto and Kakashi were very protective of the girl and getting her in such close proximity of a lecherous pervert was nothing that any of them would look kindly upon. "Now, why don't you have a seat, right next to me, kitten." He offered, now pulling her towards one of the two seats that the servants just added to the table once they saw Sasuke and Sakura.

Sakura blushed.

She really wasn't used to the complements.

What she was used to, was being treated as one of the guys.

Sasuke glared at his cousin, before claiming his seat on the other side of Sakura.

"So," The woman who was sitting opposite to Sakura started, the very tenor of her voice reflecting just how incredulous she was at having Sakura join her at the table. "You truly are Sasuke-san's girlfriend?" She questioned.

Sakura took a second to breathe. She knew this won't be easy, but the looks she was getting were murderous. Little did she know that Itachi wouldn't be the only one she would have to contend with.

"Yup." She said perfectly faking a sweet tone.

"I see," The man sitting next to her marveled, looking equally as disgusted.

*People like that, really do exist, hah?* Sakura pondered. And here she was thinking that such stuck up a-holes only had a virtual existence in gravely exaggerated plays.

"Is Itachi-sama O.k. with that?" The third man wondered out loud.

"Nothing could stand in the way of feelings like ours." Sakura cut in, before Itachi could even have a chance to retort. In fact, this is exactly what she was waiting for.

Her words, alongside the challenging tone of her voice caused the attention of the entire table to be shifted to her. The four stuck up people stared at her in utter disbelief, seemingly incapable of wrapping their minds around the nerve that the girl possessed. Shisui smirked once again; Sasuke shifted his eyes around the garden as he calculated the safest escape route. While Itachi looked her dead in the eyes.

Sakura momentarily froze, as she stared right into deep onyxes, only to be snapped out when he raised an eyebrow. She smiled challengingly at the Uchiha heir and was surprised when he actually smirked in response.

She was scared, she was confident, and she was slightly turned on all at once.

*Hot.* Inner Sakura weighed in. *So HOT!*

Shisui's grin only widened as he and Sasuke shifted their eyes between a smiling Sakura and a smirking Itachi. For his part, Sasuke just couldn't believe that his brother was actually showing an emotion rather than intense disinterest.

"Is that so, Sakura?" Came Itachi's velvety smooth voice, and Sakura had to physically stop herself from staring at him at the very familiar use of her name.

She steeled herself. "Yup." She said sweetly, before congratulating herself on not stuttering.

"You are very lucky indeed, baby cousin." Shisui cooed and Sakura was thankful to him, for giving her an excuse to break eye contact with Itachi, as it was proving to be very exhausting for some reason.

"Don't call me that." Sasuke hissed.

"But it's a cute nickname." Shisui defended with a pout.

Sakura beamed, having arrived at a very good subject for conversation.

"Oh, speaking of nicknames, Shisui-kun," she started in a steady voice, barely preventing herself from looking at Itachi. "I am still debating what would be the best one for me to call Sasuke now that we're dating." She added, throwing in a fake blush just for the heck of it. "Mind helping me with that?"

Shisui grinned, as the four Uchiha guests stared incredulously at the scene, and Sasuke stared dumbfolded. He just knew that this won't end well for him.

"Well kitten, you came to the right person." He started in a smooth tenor, he was a player after all, and what player couldn't spin cute nicknames on the spot. "How about I let you borrow my nickname for him and you call him 'baby'." He offered generously.

Sakura smiled, looking deep in thought.

"I don't know. Sounds a bit cliché." She reasoned.

Shisui nodded. "You're going for something a bit more original aren't you?" He concluded in all seriousness, as Sasuke barely resisted face-palming. "What do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking: Sweetheart."

"Nope, not original enough."

"How about: Honey Bun" Shisui suggested.

"Nah. Honey pie?" Sakura amended, as everyone seemed to be watching the exchange in utter disbelief.

"I don't know. How about Sweetie Pie?"

"Umm, Sugar Puff?" Sakura pitched.

"Gummy bear?"

"Love bug?" Was Sakura's suggestion.

At that Sasuke actually winced.

"Pookie." Shisui suggested.

Sakura grinned. By this point the two of them were simply trying to arrive at more ridiculous nicknames, regardless of the opinions of their stupefied observers, and Itachi.

"Sugams" Sakura shot.

"Love Muffin"

"Baby cakes."

Sasuke eyed her murderously.

"Really? Cuz I kinda like baby cakes on you, it fits you somehow." She reasoned. Unable to stop herself from throwing a look Itachi's way. The Uchiha was watching the exchange with a perfect poker face in place, which came as a complete contrast to the four people who looked positively appalled.

"Butter Cup."

"Cheeky Chimp." Sakura suggested.

"Oh come on Kitten. That won't work, chimps are kinda cute."

Not to be one upped by Sakura's 'cheeky chimp' suggestions, Shisui decided to take it up a notch. "Handsome baby boo." He declared.

Eyes widened at that one.

"Really?" Sakura questioned laughingly. She laughed even harder as she took in the expression on Sasuke's face. He looked about ready to kill them and pass out, not necessarily in that order. "Cuddle Muffin."She pitched.

"Fruit cake." Shisui, screamed helpfully, before doubling over in laughter and stuttering incoherently mid giggles about how true that one was.

Sasuke glared murderously.

"You're right," Shisui surmised. "That's a little on the nose isn't it?" He teased and Sakura doubled over in laughter as Sasuke's chakra flared threateningly.

And that was when Sakura felt her survival instincts urging her to make a run for it before the force of his glare turns her into stone.

"Well, Gummy bear it is." She declared despite herself. "Ahem." She said self-consciously, as she finally looked around and saw everyone staring at her. Hell, a crowd actually assembled around the table, as she and Shisui conversed and she didn't even notice. And those people, alongside the table occupants were staring stupefied at the scene.

However, things got even more scary when she finally shifted her eyes to Itachi and took in his now intense glare.

However, before anyone could say anything a voice tore through the nickname induced silence. "Gummy bear, does sound befitting." Came a smooth tenor that was foreign to Sakura's ears.

She looked up to see a man making his way towards the table where they were sitting.

And all of a sudden the crowd that had assembled seemed to dissipate, as the man approached.

He was clearly an Uchiha, his dark hair and deep onyx eyes gave him away.

His hair was long, and unlike Itachi's wasn't bound. However, he did seem much older than Itachi, yet undeniably handsome.

All of a sudden the occupants of the table straightened up, all except for Itachi, Shisui and Sasuke shooting up to their feet to greet the new arrival.

"Madara-san." Itachi greeted from his perch, completely unmoved.

"Itachi-san, Sasuke, Shisui." The man greeted. "And, I am assuming; you're Sakura-san." He added with an easy smile.

Sakura smiled.

"Yes, very nice to meet you." She declared. "I am Sasuke's…."

"Girlfriend." He finished for her. "I am Sasuke's uncle." He introduced himself. "Madara Uchiha." He finished.

Sakura bowed respectfully.

"I have heard a lot about you, Sakura-san. The whole town is talking about you and Sasuke." He admitted. "I must say I am very thrilled to finally make your acquaintance."

He seemed nice, his words were nice, but Sakura couldn't help the uneasy feeling she was getting from him.

"Thank you Madara-san." She said with a smile. "I…."

"You don't normally attend the gatherings." Itachi intoned, interrupting Sakura.

She frowned, however, a second later she felt a bit relived at his interruption. The man seemed nice, but the way he was looking at her somehow made her feel uncomfortable.

Shifting his attention to his nephew, Madara nodded, "I felt like I was missing out." He declared.

Sakura couldn't help but marvel at how formal those two were being. I mean, what nephew and uncle addressed each other in such a stiff manner. But what did she know about Uchiha's uncle addressing etiquette. Maybe that was just how they did everything; stiff and formal.

"Madara-kun, you're here." Mikoto's voice echoed as she made her way towards the table, with careful and incredibly graceful steps. Absently, Sakura marveled at whether she might one day possess half the grace this woman has.

*Never.* Inner Sakura weighed in.

At that, everyone at the table got to their feet.

"Lady Mikoto." The four clan members chorused, bowing respectfully.

"Mikoto-sama." Madara greeted.

"Mother." Itachi intoned as Sasuke and Shisui nodded their greeting, while Sakura smiled.

"I am glad you're all here;" She beamed at them. "Time to eat." She declared gesturing towards the giant buffet currently being erected in the middle of the garden. "Come on, come on." She added hospitably.

.

"Oh come on Sasuke-kun, chill." Sakura implored.

Sasuke glared at her.

The two were currently slow-dancing on a dance floor, masterfully erected under a giant shade in the main garden. All the while, eyes followed their every move. But, Sakura was getting better at ignoring them as time went by.

"What you did was unacceptable. Those nicknames are unacceptable, cooperating with Shisui is unacceptable." He hissed.

"So you're saying its unacceptable?" She concluded with a grin, before laughing nervously as Sasuke seemed about ready to trip her mid dance. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She apologized. "It just seemed like the perfect way to show your brother that we're not faltering. And it was right there, did you really want me to pass up on an opportunity like that." She explained.

Sasuke glowered at her.

"Just stay by my side until this is over." He advised. This could pretty well end catastrophically.

.

"Well, you have to admit that she is brave." Shisui admitted as he regarded the dancing couple.

"She is foolish." Itachi amended sounding vastly unimpressed.

"Oh come on, that was really funny what she did." The elder Uchiha said laughingly. "And to come here and take all of this on just to get on your nerves…." He declared, before stopping mid-sentence to laugh his ass off. "Oh man this is priceless." He declared.

"Shisui," Itachi threatened.

"Come on, Itachi, you have to admit that this round is hers." He said sagely.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, his lips rising slightly in a ghost of a smile.

"Fine." His lilting tenor echoed as his eyes rested on the girl swaying effortlessly on the dance floor. "It is hers."

.

Sakura couldn't figure out, for the life of her, how this happened.

A second ago she was walking with Mikoto and Sasuke as they introduced her to random members of the Uchiha clan.

She was actually happy.

And for the most part, the people seemed pleasant and accepting (expect for the young women and the very stuck up elders).

However, before she knew it, Sasuke wandered off to get a drink, ordering her sternly to stay with Mikoto until he returns. She nodded and decided that this would be the safest course of action.

But, as it appears, fate has chosen to have a laugh at her expense. This is because, only a second after Sasuke left, Sakura turned around to continue walking with Mikoto, only to find said woman gone.

*How exactly did I lose her?*

*You're hopeless.* Her inner pitched, facepalming. *You had one simple task: stick by the woman, and you lose her in less than a second.*

*Give me a break.* Sakura pleaded. *I'll find her. Plus, I can't even see him anywhere around, so I'm safe for now.*

*That's what you think.* Inner Sakura reasoned. *Ahh, but how about how hot he is?* She added with a sigh. *Hell, the entire clan is absurdly hot. It's unfair.*

*They're not that hot.* Sakura said with a snort.

Inner Sakura narrowed her eyes disbelievingly. *You're kidding me, right? It's like they won the first 50 prizes in the genetic lottery and everyone else was left with crappy gift certificates.*

Sakura sighed. *It's because of you, that I can't really focus on the task at hand.*

*I'm merely pointing out the obvious. Plus, why on earth would you want to focus on anything with someone that hot around.* She asked incredulously. *He's like a character in one of the novels you insist on reading. He's like a sexy …. What was it… Oh yah, a sexy vampire.*

*You're the one who loves those novels.* Sakura accused. *And he's not a vampire.* Sakura interjected.

*How do you know?*

Sakura sighed. *He's Sasuke's brother, and he's human.*

*So you're actually convinced that Sasuke is human?* The inner questioned.

*Touché.* Sakura admitted, you never know with that guy.

*Yup, now his brother is even more emotionless than him, he's unfairly sexy, he's pale and he's inhumanly powerful and way too immaculately dressed. Can you really say that he's not a vampire.*

Sakura rolled her eyes. *I am not having this conversation with you again. He is not a vampire.*

*Yes he is….*

"Sakura-san."

Sakura jumped a little. She really has to stop getting into ridiculous conversations with her inner at public places. It makes her look stupid.

She paused attempting to sound respectful, as she looked at a young raven haired girl, who apparently has been trying to get her attention for a while.

"Yes."

"Sasuke-sama is looking for you." The girl said in an even voice.

"Oh," Sakura said hopefully. "Where is he?" She added looking around.

"I'll lead you to him." The girl said with a sweet smile, causing Sakura to smile in response.

*Hey, an Uchiha other than Shisui and Mikoto-sama, knows how to smile.* Inner cooed.

A few minutes later, Sakura was in the main family's house, following the girl up the stairs with augmenting trepidation.

"Are you sure he's here." Sakura questioned cautiously. "I don't think he'd leave the garden without me." She reasoned. "He just went to get a drink, you know."

The girl smiled disarmingly.

"Oh, yes, but he kept looking for you, and when he couldn't find you, he asked me to bring you to his room, because he has something important to say to you, Sakura-san." She said politely.

"Oh." Was all she could say. "Ano, what's your name." She asked the sweet little girl.

"It's Kana." She said in an innocent tone.

Sakura couldn't help but smile.

Uchiha children really were cute, with the long black hair and the big eyes.

"Here." The girl said a second later, as she opened a door for Sakura.

Sakura smiled, "Thank you." She said as she stepped into the room, absently remembering the fact that Sasuke has in fact shown her this room before.

Sakura walked in and before she could even pause to think, the door closed behind her with a loud bang.

Sakura turned around and attempted to open the door but to no avail.

Carefully she turned around, her every sense being flooded with the sense of doom.

And just as she thought, this wasn't Sasuke's room.

What gave it away?

Well, black wall paper, crimson markings on the walls, dark silk sheets, and oh yah, Uchiha Itachi standing at the other end of the room, with his hands casually tucked in the pockets of his pants, and his eyes firmly fixed on her as he regarded her with unholy amusement.

"Welcome, Sakura." His lilting tenor sounded.

*I told you that you should pack some silver bullets.*

*Damn it!*

* * *

**I seem to have developed a fascination with ending on cliff hangers, I just can't help it. **

**Hehehe, as promised I posted this early, because the last one took me a preposterous amount of time to write. **

**Now, obviously Sakura is in trouble. Any thoughts on what Itachi has planned ;)**

**Guess it right, and get a cookie :D**

**And I do believe that Itachi has vampire like qualities. **

**Also, many thanks to those who are regularly reviewing this story. You guys have no idea how much you inspire me. I love hearing what you think. **

**Thank you!**

**Please Review.**


	7. Chapter 7

*Holy water?*

*No.*

*A cross?*

*No.*

*Then why the hell did you invite him in?*

*You idiot, this is his house. His room, to be more precise.*

Pause.

*Well, that's even stupider than inviting him in.*

Glare.

*He's not a vampire.*

*They say wooden stakes work. You need to aim for his heart though…..*Inner Sakura declared, looking around her frantically for anything made of wood. Yup, she truly believed that she could find such a thing in Sakura's mind. It was a warped place, you never know.

*Just calm down and let's think about this rationally.* Sakura said wisely. *Now, he tricked me into coming here using that little girl. And the door is locked and this place has no windows.* She surmised.

*Which part of what you just said inspires calmness exactly?* Inner Sakura screamed. *COVER YOUR NECK!*

*HE IS NOT A VAMPIRE.*

"Sakura." Came his calm tenor.

Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine.

*STAKE HIM! STAKE HIM TO THE HEART!*

"Yes." She answered with a sweet smile, putting every ounce of her power into seeming like a clueless moron. After all, if it works for Naruto and Ino, it has to work for her.

Itachi calmly regarded her for a second, before moving. Sakura flinched, ready for an attack. However, she had to recalculate her next move as the Uchiha merely moved to remove the jacket of his suit. Sakura gawked at the random action. She gawked even harder as she took in his appearance and the fact that his black shirt, tucked carefully into equally dark pants, did absolutely nothing but highlight his well-defined physique.

The girl swallowed, as Itachi leaned back against his desk and re-placed his hands in his pockets.

*Ask him if he can take the rest of it off?* Inner Sakura suggested hopefully. *Even better if he can do it really slow while swaying around to jazzy music.*

"Leave my brother, Sakura." Itachi said without preamble.

Said medic merely stared stupendously at the Uchiha.

There was blunt, and then there was this. Absently she concluded that a person as powerful as this man probably has no need for beating around the bushes or easing people into conversations.

"I… I…" Sakura stuttered for a moment, still reeling from the impact of his direct statement. "No." She finished since this was the only thing she really was sure of. She needed to help Sasuke and by God she wasn't about to make a run for it at the first sign of trouble.

*This is not the first sign. This is the last. One more step and you're dead.*Her inner screamed. *Stop forcing me to play the voice of reason.* She added franticly. *I really don't like it.*

Itachi regarded her for a second.

"Why not?" He questioned in a calm tenor, eyes scanning her carefully, as if trying to read her mind.

Sakura paused, looking at him confusedly. He was calm, too calm, and this very fact was scaring the crap out of her. She felt like she can't move or even breathe, otherwise he'll pounce.

"Because, I like him." She said truthfully. She does like him, even if not in that particular way.

"I see." Itachi intoned. "Why?" He questioned in an easy tenor.

"Pardon?" Sakura said confusedly.

At that Itachi smirked, causing Sakura's blood to run cold.

In a second he straightened up and turned his back to her as he faced his desk. Sakura watched cautiously as he located a bottle that she hasn't previously noticed, and then proceeded to pour some of its contents into two glasses.

*It's blooooood!* Inner Sakura screamed. *I knew it!*

*It's red wine you moron.* Sakura corrected. Not that it made any sense for Itachi to be pouring red wine while he's preparing to kill her. Maybe it's his pre-murder ritual or something.

A second later, Itachi turned around holding the two glasses.

"Sakura," His deep voice echoed, as he extended the one in his right hand towards her, clearly expecting her to abandon her plan of staying as far away as she possibly could from him, and come close enough to take the glass.

Sakura blanched.

*Oh good God if he's gonna kill us, he should at least have the decency to come himself.* Inner Sakura weighed in, as Sakura nodded in approval.

*These are just basic manners.* She commented.

Knowing full well that keeping him waiting will probably only serve to make him angry, Sakura started walking towards him, feeling just like a stupid sheep voluntarily walking towards the slaughter.

Itachi, standing as immobile as a statue, watched her mentally debate the subject; slightly bemused at how clearly her face displayed her inner reverie.

A second later, Sakura was standing right in front of him; well she came to a stop at arm's length so as not to come any closer than she has to. Extending her arm carefully, while keeping her emerald eyes firmly fixed on him for fear of any sudden movements; Sakura finally claimed her glass.

Itachi smirked at her actions, causing her to scowl.

He then took a sip of his wine, *Hot.* Inner Sakura said with a sigh.

*Idiot.* Sakura accused.

Looking at the glass that she now held in her hand, Sakura couldn't help but be a little tentative. Naruto's words about not accepting anything from Itachi echoed through her mind. You know you're doomed when you consider Naruto's words wise and worthy of echoing through your mind.

"It is not poison, Sakura." Itachi intoned, as if reading her mind.

"I know that." She lied reflexively. "Ahem, I mean, you never know." She added, not really sure what she was saying.

*what the hell was that?* Inner Sakura questioned.

*I don't know. I paniced.*

As a display of fortitude the medic took a swig from her drink and actually proceeded to beam as if she just attained a huge accomplishment. The Uchiha raised an eyebrow and she blushed.

*Idiot, you're in danger, start acting like it.* Her inner advised.

"Why do you like my brother, Sakura?" The Anbu captain questioned in monotone.

Sakura blinked slightly, now feeling anxious since she was standing a mere step away from him.

*Damn it! This is a trick question. Tell him he's the love of your life and you can't live without him.* Came inner's command. *And you say I never give you advise.*

*This is horrible advise.* Sakura accused. *He's an anbu captain, he's trained to detect lies you idiot. The best thing now is to tell the truth.*

*You're gonna expose the plan? * Inner Sakura screamed.

* Not really.*

"I, I," Sakura started, unable to keep herself from stuttering slightly. "Sasuke and I have been friends and teammates for a really long time." She pitched. *Yup, that's not a lie.*

"This does not answer my question, Sakura."

"Well, I've grown to know him really well." She tried again. "He's always brooding, he's cold, and he's a smug jerk, who is as haughty as they come." She declared.

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

*Tooo much truth… Tooo much truth…..* Inner Sakura yelled, waving a red flag.

"But," Sakura pushed on calmly. "He has a good heart, and he is always there for his friends even though he'd rather have his arm cut off, than admit it." She said fondly. "Well, and, he's quite good looking. That's always a plus isn't it?" She finished with a sweet smile.

Itachi scowled, silently marveling at how bizarre this girl was. She was a foolish idiot, who is unnecessarily stubborn as far as he was concerned, but something about her was giving the unflappable Uchiha slight pause.

"You truly care for my brother." He surmised, taking a small step towards her.

"Yes." She said, physically willing herself not to jump a mile backwards at his motion. However, she felt somehow soothed by the fact that he believed that she truly likes Sasuke.

*See,* Sakura declared smugly as inner Sakura clapped her hands admiringly. *All he needed to know was that his brother's girlfriend is serious about him. He's just an older brother looking out for the wellbeing of his Ototo.* She added. *And now all is well.*

*Wooohooo!* inner Sakura said jumping for joy.

"Leave him." Came the no nonsense command.

Sakura's jaw fell open, as she gawked at the Uchiha.

*Idiot.* Inner Sakura concluded. *I knew it wasn't over.* She added wisely.

" ?"

"I do not like repeating myself, Sakura." He added in an ice cold tenor.

Sakura gulped.

*Scary, very scary.*

"If you know that I care for your brother, why would you ask me to leave him?" She questioned confusedly. She might be scared, but by God she wasn't an idiot.

"You are not fit to be with my brother." He added, and she could just tell that he was indulging her by answering her questions. It seemed as if he was giving her a chance to escape, before he does something truly severe.

*Escape, now….. RUN!*Was inner Sakura's opinion.

However, unfortunately for inner, Itachi's words had an unexpected impact on Sakura.

She was, and for lack of a better term; pissed.

"What do you mean; I'm not fit to be with your brother?" She questioned, temper flaring slightly.

"I believe my words are self-explanatory."

*Jerk, Jerk, JERK!* She mentally screamed.

At that, inner Sakura ran away, looking for a place to hide. She knew that Sakura would be the death of her, why couldn't she have been Shikamaru's inner self; Shikamaru would've just said that this was too troublesome and walked away.

Sakura put her hands on her hips, completely forgetting who she was talking to. This tended to happen when she was angry, she just blanks out and says what she feels.

*damn idiot.* Inner Sakura roared from her hiding place.

"Pardon me, Itachi-san," She said in a challenging tone, "But it is not your decision to make. Sasuke chose me." She declared. "All those girls you scared away were chosen by Sasuke, you had no right to…" She trailed off, as Itachi's eyes flashed crimson for the briefest of seconds. "I… I…." She mumbled, realizing what she has done. It wasn't that she wasn't confident in her abilities, because by God she was. But she was also no fool; this man could take her out before she could even blink.

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"They were unbefitting to be with my brother." He said in a very calm voice.

"Umm, that doesn't give you the right to scare them away." She reasoned cautiously. "I mean, you could talk it over with Sasuke." She advised preparing to make a run for it, and absently marveling at the fact that she really has nowhere to run.

"You are right." Itachi said in an easy voice.

Sakura blinked.

"Huh?"

"I believe you are correct, Sakura." Itachi said in an impassive tenor. "My actions haven't been commendable."

Sakura blinked owlishly as she watched him place his glass back on the desk and proceed towards the bed, before casually claiming a seat at the edge of said bed.

The girl was mesmerized, watching distantly as his dark silken sheets rippled at the action.

He swiftly removed his tie, and tossed it to the side, before undoing the first two buttons of his shirt, as Sakura proceeded to gawk.

"Please, join me, Sakura." He said invitingly, as his arm casually rested on a spot next to him on the bed. "I would like to hear more of your opinions." He added, his rich tone unfairly irresistible.

Sakura once again felt like she was hypnotized, as she followed his lead. Even inner Sakura was too dumbstruck to comment, standing in the corner with her mouth open as if she just saw a ghost.

"M..my opinions?" She muttered as she sat down where she was instructed.

"Hn."

Swallowing, Sakura spoke, "Well, I…. I think you should let Sasuke choose who to be with." Pause. "And umm, respect his choices." She added, looking at him cautiously, before losing her train of thought at his thoughtful expression.

"That is quite reasonable, Sakura." Came his velvety smooth tone.

Did her name always sound like that?

"G… Good." She paused eyeing him wearily. "Umm, it's also bad to use little girls to trick people into coming to meet you." She complained. Now this one really got on her nerves. How dare he trick her into coming to his room, using that innocent looking little girl.

Itachi smirked.

"I see." He said understandingly. "I will reconsider this tactic." He added in an easy tenor.

"Are you humoring me, just to get close enough to kill me?" She voiced her thoughts.

"On the contrary, Sakura…" He said in a smooth tenor. "I merely think that your honestly is refreshing." He added, and before Sakura could even consider flinching, Itachi was leaning closer to her, his hand moving ever so swiftly to twirl a lock of pink hair between battle hardened fingers.

Sakura's heart just about stopped.

Inner Sakura fainted.

"I… I….."

"You aren't fit to be with my brother, Sakura." He whispered straight into her ear, now close enough for her to feel his warm breath on her face. "But I believe that you fit me quite perfectly." He added, in a voice as smooth as molten chocolate.

Sakura's breath hitched, and before she could even think, she was being pushed back ever so gently so that her back rested on silken sheets, Itachi hovering above her in a picture that even in her wildest fantasies she couldn't have come close to envisioning.

"I…. I….." Was all that came out of her mouth, as the unfairly hot Uchiha slowly closed in the distance between them.

Her inner was out.

Her mind long gone.

Her heart beating like she was running a marathon.

And her eyes mesmerized by the perfect being, so very close to touching her.

"You're playing me…" were the words that somehow managed to spill out of her lips as Itachi was less than an inch away. Her voice was very weak, a mere breath, yet it seemed to have had a monumental impact.

Itachi paused, his eyes gleaming with interest.

"Pardon?" He questioned, and if Sakura didn't know better, she would have thought that his voice held a smidge of surprise.

"Aren't you?" She breathed.

At that, Itachi actually smiled, causing Sakura's previously glazed over eyes to fly open.

"Yes." Came his honest reply.

Sakura frowned, for some reason unable to move or get genuinely angry.

"I knew it." She surmised. "That girl said you tried something like that with her."

"A girl?" Itachi questioned.

"One of Sasuke's ex-girlfriends." She said, still mesmerized by his excruciating closeness. "She said you tried to seduce her."

"I succeeded in seducing her, Sakura." Itachi admitted. "It took her less than a minute to agree to leave Sasuke for me."

"That's evil." She accused, causing Itachi to smirk. At that Sakura's temper kicked in, her emerald eyes glistening. "You tricked that girl." She accused, now bringing her arm up to try and push him away, as the recently revived inner Sakura pleaded with her to let him stay just a while longer. "How could you do such a thing to your brother's girlfriend?"

"She wasn't worthy of being his girlfriend." He said, his hand moving to firmly trap Sakura's in place, as he maintained his position above her.

Sakura's temper flared even more, her Chakra kicking in as she glared at the Uchiha, who was for some reason looking very bemused as he peered down on her.

"YOU'RE EVIL!" She declared, "How can you do such a thing?" Sakura growled, with every intention of forcing her way out of the Uchiha's hold.

"They were not fit to date him, Sakura."

Sakura twitched with pent up anger. "Well, guess what; I'm still Sasuke's girlfriend, and I have no intention of cheating on him with you." She declared, toning out inner Sakura's declaration that she on the other hand would love to be with him.

At that Itachi's expression and his overall posture got perceptibly tenser.

Sakura, completely oblivious to the impact of her words, attempted to break free of his hold.

And much to her surprise, Itachi merely let her go, swiftly sitting up as she shot up to her feet on instinct and looked at him confusedly for a second.

Sakura frowned, her temper once again getting the best of her.

Her only two options right now were either to punch him in the face, or she could just very politely punch him in the face. Not much of a choice really.

Knowing full well that acting on what she really wanted to do, could get her killed, Sakura walked to the nearest wall and aimed a chakra laden fist at said innocent unsuspecting object. And in an impressive display of power, the wall was reduced to dust in a mere second, thus revealing the hallway behind it.

Sakura turned an enraged glare towards the somehow still unimpressed Uchiha, sitting casually on the edge of his bed and eyeing her with a raised eyebrow.

"What you're doing is despicable," She roared. "How could you lock your brother's girlfriend in your room like that?" She accused.

"You were never truly locked in, Sakura." He said in an easy tenor.

*Well, he has a point there. You could have punched a hole in the wall from the beginning.* Her inner pointed out.

At that Sakura literally growled before racing out of the room.

Leaning back slightly, Itachi's expression turned unreadable as he eyed the place where the girl disappeared.

* * *

**Itachi, Itachi, Itachi, I wonder what he's thinking :P**

**What do you guys think?**

**Now, a lot of you guessed Itachi's little plan right! You guys are awesome and you surely deserve some of Mikoto's special cookies... Maybe she'd have her sons deliver them ;)  
**

**I kinda missed Shisui in this chapter :D So you can bet he'll make a very graceful appearance in the next one ;)  
**

**Please Review.**


	8. Chapter 8

Deep in the heart of the fire country, lies its crowing jewel and avid protector; the leaf village. And courtesy of its location in the midst of the aptly named fire country, Konoha seems to be perpetually suffering from heat waves, even in the middle of what might elsewhere be known as winter.

However, there are always those very rare occasions when the weather decides to show some mercy and stop attempting to roast the Shinobi of the leaf. Thus, the Shinobi get treated to a day of cool weather, with the temperature just right to lift everybody's spirits and cause the birds to tweet happily in the early morning breeze.

Yes, it was gonna be a marvelous day. And everyone knew it. It wasn't even 7 am yet, but everyone was looking forwards to an exquisite day spent in the enchanting outdoors.

It was a marvelous day, a delightful day, an uplifting day…

*Such a long day.* Inner Sakura whined, as Sakura nodded tiredly to the guards currently securing Konoha's gates.

Returning from a mission that was sprung on her out of nowhere a few hours ago by her Shishou; Sakura was in no hurry to start her day. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to call it a night. She was grumpy, tired and all around irked.

Such is the life of a workaholic.

You'd feel the same way too, if after spending a very long day at the Uchiha compound; you run back to your house to try to drown your sorrow in a bowl of ice-cream, only to be summoned by the Hokage. Who then proceeds to hand you a ridiculously heavy package and declare that as her apprentice, you are the only person she could trust to deliver it.

You feel momentarily proud, as your eyes gleam with determination. Workaholics, always look forward to the challenge. And seconds later, you're racing out of town, carrying the ungodly load. It takes you 4 hours just to figure out exactly where you need to go. And of course, everything that could go wrong steps right ahead and goes wrong. You run into rogue shinobi with a rare fetish that causes them to be fascinated by the color pink. You also run into thieves and letches who think you're easy prey just because you're a girl.

And as if all of this isn't enough, you also grudgingly realize that if you had any hope of getting back before morning you have to take a shortcut through a mountain. And so, you climb with your heavy load, putting every ounce of your will power into not envisioning a hot bath and the pint of ice-cream that you were so very close to engulfing just moments before you got the summons.

Eventually, you deliver the package and head back in haste so that you could reach Konoha before daybreak. You have to be there on time, because this was the day when your sensei who has been letting you and your teammates train alone for weeks; suddenly decided that you are in desperate need of one of his legendary 6 hour training sessions.

You sigh miserably, at the thought of your bed. And belatedly realize that you have absolutely no idea what was in the package you just delivered. After all, you have too much work ethics to chance a look into the thing that weighed so heavily on your back for so many hours.

Sakura sighed.

*At least we're back in town.* She thought miserably.

*Our training session starts in two minutes.* Inner Sakura shot, rubbing at her eyes.

*Well, that gives us about two hours to rest and get something to eat.* She declared.

Two hours of tardiness were the least one could expect when Kakashi is the one who set the time of the training session. Before, Sakura used to make it a point to arrive on time either way, even if she had to wait for hours for her sensei to finally show his masked face. She was a good student that way. However, lately she realized that she could be more productive if she took that time and put it into work, practice, or even much needed rest.

*Yup, productivity, that's all you care about.* Inner Sakura bit, as Sakura made her way towards her apartment. *How about fun? We never do anything that's fun.* She complained. *Even when the sexy vampire taicho tried to kiss you yesterday….*

Sakura shook her head angrily at the mention of last night's events.

*No! We are not gonna discuss this, and we won't talk about him.* She said in finality. For some reason every time the medic thought back to her encounter with Itachi, her face flushes red, her heart starts pounding and she gets the urgent need to punch a hole through something.

She was almost relieved that she got to leave last night. She really didn't want to continue thinking or even talking about what happened with the Uchiha. However, she knew that she would have to, sooner or later. After all, she did tell Sasuke, Ino and Naruto before she left.

She didn't want to tell them, but Sasuke pretty much figured that something was wrong when he couldn't find her at the party. Apparently, he started looking for her, and after covering the entire party grounds, he enlisted the assistance of Naruto to try and find Sakura. And of course, being Sasuke's bona-fide stalker; Ino who was listening in on the boys' conversation, jumped into action and offered her services.

Eventually, they found Sakura at her apartment, and prodded her for details. She caved after 30 minutes of trying her best not to squeal. After all, her boys were overly protective and God only knows what they might do if they knew that Itachi attempted to kiss her.

However, after much resolute persuasion she sang like a little pink canary.

She really didn't have much time to ponder the implications of what she said, courtesy of the Hokage's little mission. However, she knew full well that Naruto and Sasuke were pissed. They got that manic look in their eyes after she told them what happened. She only saw that look once before, and that was when; in an attempt to tease them, she declared that she found Garaa irresistibly hot. The two then flew into a fit and declared that this wasn't by any means funny.

Smiling slightly at the memory, Sakura pushed open her door.

She's gonna have to tell them to behave, and stay out of her war with Itachi. The two were very impulsive and the situation was flammable enough as it was.

However, for now, and until she meets them in training, she had her heart set on having a relaxing shower, a bite to eat and maybe like half an hour of much deserved sleep. After all, she did have a class to teach tonight and knowing what she had said to her star pupil the last night; she was pretty sure that he was going to retaliate in a big way tonight.

*Damn it, my life sucks.* She declared, stepping into her apartment.

"Well, well, well….." Were the words that greeted her arrival.

Sakura twitched, mentally cursing her luck to high heavens.

"What are you doing here, Ino-Pig?" Sakura hissed.

"I could ask you the same question." The blonde so comfortably poised on top of Sakura's living room couch declared haughtily.

"Not really. This is my apartment." Sakura pointed out exhaustedly. Is it really too much to ask for to come back to her apartment at some point and find it devoid of intruders.

Ino pondered that for a second.

"That's irrelevant," Ino declared. "You look horrid, Forehead." She commented.

"Good morning to you too, Pig." Sakura greeted her back.

"So, did ya blow the mission?" Ino questioned, as Sakura closed the door.

"No, actually it went great." She said, walking over to the couch before plopping next to her friend. "Can we be done with the small talk now?" She questioned tiredly. "Why are you here?"

Ino grinned.

"Well, my dear forehead, I am here for a noble reason. I am here to learn the truth." The blonde declared meaningfully.

"The truth?" Sakura parroted.

"Yup," She nodded. "About what happened with you and the smexy Uchiha taicho yesterday."

At that Sakura actually blushed.

"Ahaaaaa!" Ino screamed, pointing an accusatory finger towards Sakura. "I knew that you didn't tell us everything yesterday. Pushed him off, my ass. You totally slept with him." She declared. "WOHOOOO! Go forehead, Go forehead, Go forehead….." She sang.

Sakura twitched.

"I did not sleep with him."

"Liar."

"I am not lying."

"Well, are you sane?"

"What?"

"No, really forehead, are you sane?" Ino questioned, pausing only to examine her confused friend. "Because, I used to think that with all this forehead space you have, you must be packing a really huge brain. Now, I think it's just free, unutilized forehead space." She accused.

*It's not unutilized, I live in it.* Inner Sakura declared, looking offended. *Who needs a brain when they have me to call the shots.*

Now this was proving to be too much for Sakura, Ino, her inner, and no food, sleep, or even rest.

"I do have a brain…."

"Then why the hell did you not sleep with Itachi-taicho?" Ino screamed her question, grabbing her pink haired friend by the shoulders and shouting directly in her face, while shaking her, as if trying to break her out of a coma.

Sakura twitched with anger, and slight sleep deprivation induced instability.

Ino continued to shake her. "Do you not see how hot that man is? I thought he'd kill you, but he went for a kiss, and you and your empty forehead just go ahead and block him. How the hell could you be so stupid? Why did you not kiss him?" She screamed.

"Because, he didn't really want to kiss me!" Sakura screamed back without thinking.

A moment of silence followed where Sakura's eyes widened at her own words.

"N-Not that I was gonna kiss him, if he wanted to. You know?... Umm, I mean, I really don't wanna kiss him. He's horrible, and evil…. Ummm, ah, he ruined my class too… I… I mean, this is of course not the only reason why I don't wanna kiss him.. Even if he didn't ruin my class, and try to seduce me, I still wouldn't wanna kiss him… I really don't like him…. He's…..

*Oh, the humanity!* Inner Sakura exclaimed.

*Oh, God please let me shut up.* Sakura prayed.

For her part, Ino simply watched Sakura ramble on, with the same expression on her face, a cat would have if it were treated to the rare sight of two mice fighting to the death in front of its very own eyes.

"Ahem," Sakura finally managed. "I hate him." She added attempting to sound sincere. And when Ino just kept looking at her like she had sprouted a new pink haired head, she added; "Get out."

Ino grinned at her friend.

"No need to get touchy, just because the prince was only using you, forehead." She declared with a smile. "At least you get to pretend to be with my Sasuke-Kun, this has its own perks even if it's just a sham."

"I am not touchy. And I am not upset over him whatsoever, I am merely pissed that he attempted to play me. Also, pretending to date Sasuke doesn't have its perks, if you hadn't noticed, I have an anbu captain trying to ruin my life, not to mention the hordes of women who now hate me with a passion." She declared.

"Oh, come on, we fangirls aren't that bad." Ino said complacently.

"You tried to kill me when you thought I really was dating him."

Ino laughed at the sweet memory. "Oh, yah," She said lightheartedly.

Sakura glared at her friend.

"This is not funny, you know. Lately, strange things have been happening."

"Strange, how?"

"Well, things have been randomly dropped from the tops of buildings and shelves, when I just so happened to pass by. Kunai knives, have been known to accidentally fly out of their wielders' hands and attempt to attack me, and I'm pretty sure that they're gonna try and poison my food next. Honestly, if I weren't paying attention, I would have probably been in an accident by now." Sakura recapped.

Ino looked contemplative. "That sounds really extreme, forehead. I mean, fangirls are crazy about Sasuke-Kun, of course. They have every reason to be. But attempting to take you out via murder, where is the honor in that?" She declared, in sheer fangirl pride. "Did, you get a look at those who tried to kill you?"

"Why would that matter?"

"Well, as the president of Sasuke-Kun's fan-club I would be more than happy to investigate the accidents." She said in a formal tone. Yup, Ino has always jumped at the opportunity to exercise her authority. After all, authority is hot. Being authoritative while wearing leather pants is even hotter. She could just imagine it.

"I never really get to see the ones doing it. Whenever I look around, whoever it is, is already gone." She said tiredly. "This is not important, though. I can handle the fangirls, it's HIM that I'm worried about." The medic declared.

"Oh, you have a class tonight." Ino deduced.

Sakura nodded.

"Yah, and I have almost 1 hour before I have to be at the training grounds. So how about you just let me be for now."

Ino raised an eyebrow.

"Never…. You still need to tell me what happened last night."

Sakura heaved a tortured sigh.

"What the hell have we been doing for the last….."

"Nope, you need to give me details, like: what was he wearing? What did he smell like? What exactly did he say? And are the rumors about his black silk sheets true? Does he in fact have whips hanging all around his room? …."

Ino pushed on, while Sakura once again called her luck the worst names she could think of.

.

"Good morning, Sakura." A very familiar, and rather comforting voice greeted as Sakura dragged herself into the training grounds.

"Kaka-Sensei." Sakura greeted, with a smile.

Her sensei really did mean a lot to her. She can't even enumerate how many times this man saved her life, or how many lessons he's taught her over the years.

Kakashi stood on a tree branch, his visible eye calmly pursuing the lines of his beloved book. How on earth anyone could read porn and still have the presence of mind to do everything else, even fight; is still one of the biggest mysteries in Sakura's life.

"Do you happen to know where Sasuke-Kun and Naruto-Kun are?" Kakashi questioned, not tearing his eyes away from the book.

Sakura looked around her.

It was two hours past the agreed upon time. Which means that the two should already be here; fighting with each other over something trivial enough to make her and Kakashi face palm.

Sakura scowled.

"Not really."

"I see." Kakashi said thoughtfully. This was highly uncharacteristic of the two. "well, then shall we start, Sakura-chan." He offered, finally bringing his one eye up to look at her, as he gave one of his easy smiles.

Just by looking, no one could ever guess that this man is about to beat Sakura's ass into the ground in a marathon-like training session. And without her two teammates to buffer the blows, Sakura truly was screwed.

*Oh, this is so gonna hurt.* Inner Sakura cooed in sheer glee.

.

Almost 6 hours after that, Sakura found herself almost crawling out of the showers adjoining the training grounds. Sasuke and Naruto were a no show, which simply put, means that she had to endure 6 hours of Kakashi time all by herself.

Add to that, the fact that she hadn't slept a wink and she hadn't even had time to eat courtesy of Ino's extensive nagging; and you get a very pissed off medic.

*That's not the way home.* Inner Sakura remarked.

*I can't go home, Ino's probably waiting there. I'll just go find something to eat since I have less than two hours before the start of my shift at the hospital.* She explained.

"Oh My God, That's her, that's my wife." A husky male voice echoed as she waked out of the training ground.

Curious, Sakura looked around, only to be stunned at the fact that said man was pointing at her, and even more stunned that the man was none other than Shisui Uchiha.

"Huh?" Was all she managed, as her eyes fixated on the raven haired Uchiha, and the girl by his side.

She was an unfairly tall blonde, with assets that made Sakura look like a prepubescent Teenage boy in comparison. She was wearing a pink dress that can only be described as tiny, and she was clinging onto Shisui's arm like her life depended on it.

However, now, after hearing his statement, the girl was staring at Sakura in utter shock.

For his part, Shisui looked slightly terrified (or at least fake terrified), as he spoke next, "Run Nami-chan, Run, I don't want to see you get hurt." He said in a concerned tone.

The blonde, gawked for a second, before she finally caught on to what she needed to do.

Like a comedic actress in a bad movie, the girl quickly turned around, and started running in slow motion, as Shisui walked over to Sakura saying; "Honey, I swear, this is not what it seems like."

The girl then turned around, took one last look at the two. And then ran like the wind.

Sakura blinked in utter confusion.

"Huh?" Was once again, the eloquent sound that came out of her confused lips.

Shisui grinned suavely, as he walked towards the medic.

"Wanna join me for lunch, kitten." He offered.

"What was that?" Sakura finally managed.

"What was what?" He questioned, inclining his head towards her like he had no idea what she was talking about.

Sakura looked at him pointedly.

"My, My, Kitten, that's quite a dangerous look you're packing." He crooned.

Sakura raised an eyebrow, at his obvious attempt at flirting his way out of an explanation.

The playboy sighed dramatically.

"Fine, Kitten, you win," He said with a smile. "She was my girlfriend."

"And why did you tell her I was your wife?"

"Well, she was talking crazy, that's why." He declared.

"Crazy?"

"Yah, you know, the usual, her mother's finally in town, and she wants me to meet her over a lovely meal of shrimp." He surmised.

"What's wrong with that?" She questioned.

"I don't like shrimp." He said simply.

Sakura glared at him.

"And you used me, to scare her away." She concluded.

He nodded.

And that was Sakura's cue to jump into feminist mode and start berating him within inches of his life. Shisui, being as good at reading women as he was; seemed to know exactly what was about to happen.

And so, he flung an arm across the girl's shoulders, and started guiding her down the road, "Come on kitten, let's get something to eat and you can yell at me all you want to." He declared in an easy tenor.

Sakura blushed slightly.

*He truly is amusing.* She pondered. *He's lighthearted and nice….*

*He's also very good looking.* Inner Sakura weighed in.

*Yup,* Sakura conquered. *He's nothing like his evil cousin, who tried to….. ahem… Never mind.*

Bad train of thought.

Snapping out of her reverie, Sakura distantly noticed a bunch of green faces. Green with envy that is. Said green women watched Shisui lead Sakura across town and towards a high brow little café where he gestured for her to join him on a table that overlooked the street.

The girl could just hear their thoughts, and they were nothing but unpleasant as they pondered the fact that she wasn't only dating Sasuke but was apparently friends with Shisui, or maybe even more, *That Bitch.* They collectively mused.

*You're the bitches.* She mentally shot right back, hoping that by some telepathic miracle, they all hear the echo of her thoughts in their minds and go visit a psychiatrist to treat their delusions.

"Penny for your thoughts." Shisui offered, as he waved the waitress over.

Sakura smiled.

The two quickly ordered, Sakura finally getting to order some food.

"So, kitten, aren't you gonna yell at me for leaving that girl?" Shisui questioned with a smile.

Sakura scowled.

"Well, you've taken all the fun out of it by asking." She said crossly.

Shisui grinned.

"Fine then, how about you tell me a bit about your latest escapade." He offered.

"What?"

Leaning back in his chair, his smile only widened as he spoke: "Well, I visited the main house yesterday and apparently a giant hole has been found in a wall in a certain bedroom."

Sakura blanched.

She really didn't wanna think about the last night, or what she ended up losing her temper and doing for that matters.

"This really wasn't my fault." She said bravely.

"It wasn't?"

"Of course not." She declared. "I had to do it. With all due respect Shisui-kun your cousin is pure evil." The medic added. She really needed the chance to vent after the day she's had.

"You're being too harsh, kitten." He replied in a laid back tenor.

"No I'm not." She shot back crossly. "He obviously is an emotionally stunted person who has no idea about relationships. He probably doesn't even know what it's like to care for another person and that's the true reason why he so desperately chases Sasuke's girlfriends away."

Shisui smiled at that.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Kitten." He advised, before pausing for a second to think about what he was about to say. "I'd have you know, my little cousin once had a love interest of his own." The Uchiha declared.

Sakura couldn't help but be stunned for a second.

"He was in love with someone?" She questioned, eyes going wide.

Yes, Uchiha Itachi was devastatingly handsome and it was common knowledge that every once in a while, a lucky lady gets to share his bed. This, however, was known to be a onetime only deal; no woman was ever called to his bed twice. The Uchiha heir just didn't date anyone on steady basis; he has never taken a girlfriend as far as the people of Konoha were concerned.

Shisui nodded.

"Yes, at one point he was deeply in love with someone." Shisui declared.

"Who was she?" She questioned, her voice reflecting every bit of her curiosity. She must have been some lady to have captured Itachi's heart, was all Sakura could think.

"Her name was Reina," Shisui declared, his stare far away, as he reminisced about events of the far past. "Almost 10 years ago, Itachi met her and fell for her. I'm pretty sure he would have done anything for that girl."

Sakura just looked at Shisui for a while.

For days now, she's been thinking about Itachi and what he's been doing. But for the life of her, she never really envisioned him as the type who'd be in love and have a girlfriend.

A hot Sex God….definitely.

A love struck Romeo….. never.

"W-What happened with her?"

Shisui sighed, "Well, this is such a long story. What I can tell you is that she had to leave Itachi and move to another country."

"That's really bad." Sakura said earnestly.

Shisui smiled, "Yes it is." He said simply. "That's why I was telling you, kitten; you really shouldn't jump to conclusions about people." He said sagely. "I'd have you know that he has been especially kind to my little Kitten." The lady's man said enigmatically.

Sakura looked at him confusedly. "You're kidding." She shot.

Shisui grinned, "Well, you did hear about the whole thousand years of pain in a few seconds deal, didn't you, kitten?" Shisui questioned in an easy tenor.

Sakura nodded. Who didn't hear about Itachi's signature move, that traps people in a world of his creation, as he proceeds to torture all the sanity out of them.

*Joke's on him, we have no sanity.* Inner Sakura weighed in.

"Now, tell me kitten, has he used his Sharingan on you?" He questioned. "Even once?" He added for good measures.

Sakura shook her head.

"See, he is going easy on you. I guess even my little cousin could see how much of a treasure, kitten is." He sang.

"Are you kidding me?" Sakura exclaimed. "After everything he did to me, you can actually say with a straight face that….." She trailed off, as the laid back lady killer smiled mysteriously.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, kitten." He said in a husky tenor, as if he was trying to seduce her, not tell her about his cousin.

Sakura concluded that when you flirt as much as that man, it actually gets in your bones and you do it without even thinking.

She raised an eyebrow.

"So, I'm lucky because he hasn't yet tried to sharingan me to death, just for going out with his brother?" She recapped.

"Yup." He assured. "And…."

The rest of his sentence was cut off by two shadows being cast so ominously on their table.

Sakura and Shisui looked up, only to see two figures whose faces were obscured by the fact that they were standing directly in line with the sun. However, their dark aura made their identities crystal clear.

"What are you doing with him?" Sasuke hissed.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto whined. "Why are you sitting with evil-taicho's cousin?"

Sakura had to squint to be able to look up at the two boys immersed in sunlight; however, she was quite certain that Naruto was pouting like a 3 year old at the moment.

"He is also, Sasuke's cousin you know." She pointed out.

Naruto pondered that for a moment, before turning slightly and looking at his companion.

"You're evil too, aren't you?" Naruto concluded as he threw a cautious glance Sasuke's way. "It's in your genes." He declared.

Sakura sweet dropped, while Shisui grinned at the blonde's impeccable line of reasoning.

"Idiot." Sasuke concluded.

"Wait a minute, that's why the Sharingan has this circle of revolving sixes, it's because you all are evil!" Naruto concluded in a frantic voice. He knew that something was wrong with that clan, but being descendants of Satan, only a smart cookie like him could have figured that one out.

"They are not sixes."

Sakura face palmed.

"Maybe I should go, now." She said in a tired voice. As much as she was looking forwards to her meal, Sakura really didn't wanna be here when those three started fighting.

Shisui nodded, both him and Sakura getting to their feet.

"Hey, what happened to you two?" Sakura questioned worriedly, as she finally got a good look at the boys' faces.

"It's nothing." Sasuke said in monotone, as Naruto pouted.

The two looked like hell; their eyes were all black as if someone just used them for punching bags and on further inspection Sakura's honed medic senses zeroed in on some dislocated bones, carefully hidden under their clothes.

"Naruto?" She questioned, looking at the blonde pointedly.

Said Hokage wanna be pouted, as Sakura looked purposely back at him. Sasuke might be able to keep his mouth shut but Sakura could always coax the blonde to spill.

"I said it was nothing." Sasuke intervened.

Sakura merely looked at Naruto.

"Fine, Fine, I can't take this anymore, we went to Teme's brother's house to try and pay him back for what he did to you yesterday," Naruto screamed frantically.

"Dobe," Sasuke hissed.

Completely ignoring his friend the blonde pushed on.

"He said that if we were upset we should step into his back yard and sort it out." Naruto yelled. "It was horrible Sakura-chan! HORRIBLE!" He paused to catch his breath. "One minute we were both standing and the next I saw nothing but black, we couldn't even make it to the training grounds afterwards, and after two hours of just laying there we crawled over to the hospital. Teme's older brother's demon blood makes him invincible. I think Teme didn't inherit any of it though." He finished sincerely.

Sasuke was about ready to kick Naruto in the face, Naruto was relived at not having to keep this secret anymore, while Shisui smirked knowingly.

"Oh." Was all Sakura could say in response.

"You should have known better, baby cousin." Shisui said with a grin.

Sasuke merely glared at his cousin.

"Let's go Sakura." The younger Uchiha declared.

Looking back at the restaurant where she knew her hot meal was being prepared as they spoke, Sakura nodded lackadaisically, mentally apologizing to her poor tummy for making it go without food for so long.

Shisui grinned, resuming his seat.

"Well then, it was great seeing you all; Sasuke, Sasuke's girlfriend,"

"Why are you calling me Sasuke's girlfriend for? My name is Sakura." She shot back.

"I wasn't taking about you, Kitten." He replied with a wink, as he threw a conspicuous look Naruto's way.

"Hey!" Naruto said, slightly offended. "I have a girlfriend." He declared.

"Good cover." Shisui said in an easy tenor.

"I'll kill you!" Came Naruto's battle cry.

The next hour or so was spent by Sakura in an attempt to stop Naruto and Sasuke from attacking a smirking, Shisui and occasionally from attacking each other.

*Just my luck.*

* * *

**First many thanks to those who're reviewing. It's because of you guys that I can update on regular basis. You give me all the motivation I need. **

**This chapter had no action, and no Itachi. So the next one would have Itachi, action, and maybe just maybe a little fluff, you guys have waited long enough for that, and poor Sakura's day is still just beginning ;)**

**And finally, I have a question about inner Sakura and her dialogues. You might have noticed that I have scaled her contributions back a lot in this chapter. This is because some of my lovely reviewers pointed out that she gets a bit confusing (Thank you guys for directing my attention to this). So please let me know if you need me to stop using inner Sakura or simply tone her down a bit.**

**Please Review. **


	9. Chapter 9

**The verdict is in! After taking all your amazing reviews into consideration; I've decided to keep inner Sakura, but tone her down a bit. Not too much though, she'll still have some convos with Sakura but not within on going dialogues with other characters, and she'll get to give us her unique commentary on scenes from time to time; but again I'll do my best to reduce the confusion level. Once again, thank you all for directing my attention to this. **

**Secondly, one of you awesome reviewers out there, has reviewed the last chapter as a guest, so I couldn't really reply to your review, and I really wanna tell you that I do share your love for Itachi and I'd never do to him what has been done in that other story, or ruin his image in such a horrendous manner ;) You know who you are. So please PM cuz I wanna give you a better reply to your review :D Again many thanks to all those who review :D I love you guys so very much. **

* * *

Damn the Anbu uniforms, damn them, damn them all to hell.

*Stop drooling will ya, you're turning my mind into a swamp.* Sakura threatened her inner.

However, this by no means caused the alter ego to stop gawking with her mouth wide open.

Sakura couldn't really blame her that much; when she herself found it really hard to stop ogling the Uchiha who just so happened to be the first to walk into the class. After all, he was the Uchiha heir and he was always on time, if not slightly before time.

*Damn it!* She mentally exclaimed.

People always remarked that nothing is as hot as a man in a uniform, but by God, no one knew anything about hot until they've seen Uchiha Itachi in full Anbu gear, walking into class with confident strides, his broad shoulders swaying ever so slightly, as well defined muscles rippled beneath an almost skin tight grey and black uniform, long fingers easily held onto his mask, while his deep all seeing eyes were firmly fixed on the poor medic, as his other hand went up to run through his hair to straighten back the stray strands that cascaded forwards when he so casually took his mask off by the door. A model walking down a runway didn't even come close to having half the grace or good looks that this man was blessed with.

*Did everything just go into slow motion?* Inner Sakura questioned.

For her part, Sakura was busy focusing on her breathing. For some reason there was a very good possibility that she'd either hyperventilate or fall to her knees.

*Too hot isn't he?* Inner Sakura sang. *Jump him, jump him now! The teacher's desk has been fixed; you could always break it again.* She pleaded.

Sakura scowled.

*He's not even that good looking.* She lied.

*Then why are you about ready to faint?*

*Shut up, damn it. I'm just exhausted from a lack of sleep and food; that's all.* She explained. *Plus, looks mean nothing when you're a horrible, horrible person. There is absolutely nothing hot about being evil.*

"Good evening, Sakura." Came his velvety smooth greeting.

*Damn it!*

*Jump him!*

"Ahem, good evening." She said trying her best to sound impassive, but from the satisfied look on his face; she was quite certain that she now wore a bright red blush on her face.

*damn it.*

Shaking her head to clear her mind, as she watched the Uchiha swiftly claim his seat and proceed to shamelessly look at her like he usually did, Sakura did her best to chase the blush away from her face. After all, it was almost 24 hours ago that that man attempted to kiss her. She had a right to blush when she saw him for the first time after that, and by God it had absolutely nothing to do with his good looks.

Additionally, she was sleep deprived; she hadn't slept for a whole day. And she also hasn't eaten in more than a day. Not to mention that during that day she pretty much worked her ass off; she had a mission during which she had to travel through the night, a training session in which she had to endure Kakashi's concentrated power all by herself and a shift at the hospital where thanks to her luck she had to work nonstop for 5 hours and now she had class, all without getting a bite to eat.

All of this, Sakura reasoned; factored into creating her uncanny blush. Nothing to do with his looks.

"You beat Naruto and Sasuke Up." Sakura remarked, suddenly remembering that she does have a new reason to be mad at the Uchiha prince.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, his eyes not leaving her for a second.

"Hn."

She twitched. Oh, but she really did hate those Uchiha 'Hn's . And from her experience with Sasuke, this particular 'Hn' translated into: 'and what of it?'

"Why did you do that?" She questioned, narrowing her emerald eyes slightly, as she took a step towards the Uchiha.

"Is that all you want to talk to me about, Sakura?" He questioned in a smooth tenor.

"Pardon?"

"I expected you to be more concerned about yesterday's events. I did come after you personally, after all." He explained, leaning back in his chair.

"Well, you've also gone after them." She exclaimed. It was common knowledge within team seven's circle of friends that Sakura only completely flew off the handle when her two teammates were in harm's way. They might be protective of her, but when it came to them; she was like a mother cat looking after her kittens.

But of course calling those two: 'kittens', is like calling Rock Lee: stylish, Gaara: sweet or Jiraiya a gentleman; they were more like untamed wild monkeys as far as Sakura was concerned.

Itachi smirked, having arrived at the conclusion that Sakura really did care for those two.

"I merely provided them with a fair chance to fight, Sakura."

"How is beating them up fair?" The medic said with a scowl.

Itachi looked at her for a second, seemingly attempting to figure out what she was thinking. And Sakura was almost a hundred percent sure that he could see her every thought. She didn't falter though, he did hurt her friends.

The Anbu captain eventually smirked.

"You are right, Sakura. It wasn't fair." He declared impassively. "They did fight two on one."

Sakura faltered.

"Right." She said awkwardly.

*They did have the advantage and they didn't win.* Sakura pondered. *I don't really have the right to be mad at him for it.* She concluded, giving an awkward laugh and rubbing the back of her neck.

Itachi watched her actions with escalating amusement and was even more amused when she cleared her throat and said; "Sorry about that." She said earnestly. "You gave them a fair shot." She added.

Itachi's smirk disappeared at her words. And she could have sworn that for the briefest of instances there he looked surprised at her apology.

"Hn." He finally offered.

"So, are you gonna try to kill me now?" She questioned, as her inner banged her head against a brick wall.

*You idiot, why don't you just hand him a knife.*

*I am just curious.*

Itachi regarded her in silent amusement for a second.

"Yes." He said calmly.

"Huh?" Was all she managed in response, unconsciously inclining backwards as her eyes went wide.

*RUN!*

A Second passed while Sakura pondered her next move and Itachi's steely gaze fixed her in place.

However, a second later the Uchiha actually smirked and ran a hand through his hair. A gesture that her Uchiha to human translator deciphered to mean; 'you're way too easy to scare.'

Sakura heaved a sigh as the Uchiha's sexy as hell smirk only grew wider.

"This wasn't funny!" She said childishly, before pausing to force herself into professional mode as one of her students came into the class.

"Good evening senpai," The girl greeted, before turning an eye over to the Uchiha and almost fainting at the sight of him in uniform.

The girl steadied herself by holding onto her desk.

"Good evening." Sakura said formally. "Are you Ok?" She asked in concern.

"Ha-Hai…." The girl mumbled tiredly, as she plopped down in her seat with a dull thud and sighed while holding a hand to her heart.

Sakura almost rolled her eyes.

*Do those people have no self-control?* She pondered haughtily.

*Jump him!*

*Damn it.*

For the next 45 minutes Sakura busied herself by teaching her class. She was, after all, a professional and she recently developed a technique where she avoids making eye contact with the Uchiha during class by staring at a point on his forehead when he attempted to ask a question or make a remark.

All in all, she managed to keep her head during the last few classes. And slowly but surely she was getting her class's undivided respect. And Sakura couldn't be happier about that.

Long ago, she was nothing but the pink haired girl on team seven, who was lucky to have the protection of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and the Uchiha prodigy. And while Sakura really respected her teammates and appreciated all their efforts to keep her safe when she most needed them; she always longed for the day when she'd stand on her own two feet and become Haruno Sakura. Just: Haruno Sakura.

That is why she's been working hard ever since she was young. She wanted to be something and to step into her own light. She wanted to gain respect based on her own merit and not who she knew. Fortunately, her efforts weren't going to waste, for she has become a great medic and an amazing fighter in her own right.

And throughout it all, she strived to be nothing but a pure professional. She spared all her goofiness for when she hung out with her friends and she was nothing but serious when she was at work. Strict, serious and a true professional; those were the pillars on which Sakura has built her reputation.

This is why she was ecstatic now that she had her class looking at her in awe and awarding her their absolute respect.

"This concludes our lesson for today," The medic/teacher declared. "Does anyone have any questions?"

Her question was greeted with satisfied smiles, as well as the exhilarating sounds of pens being clicked and copybooks flying shut.

Sakura smiled.

*He didn't do anything after all.* She concluded with a satisfied smile. And here she was thinking that he was sure to try something funny.

At Sakura's last thought, inner Sakura's eyes widened. *No, don't say that!* The inner exclaimed.

*What are you talking about? It's done, nothing could go wrong now.* Sakura added confidently.

Inner Sakura fell to her knees dramatically. *Nooooo!* She screamed. *You just jinxed it you moron.* She declared.

Sakura glared at her inner. *Such an idiot. There's no such a thing as a jinx; it's totally fine, nothing bad will happen.*

"Alright then class, I'll see you all…"

The rest of Sakura's chipper statement was cut off when the door to her class literally flew open.

Necks swiveled hastily backwards, before eyes widened in sheer shock; for the second the door flew open, their eyes were attacked by colors and sounds the likes of which they haven't heard before. Colors and sound: that by all means shouldn't be seen or heard in a class, or in the hospital containing the class.

Almost 5 female belly dancers swayed their way into class, followed by another 5 belly dancers, who were by all means not female. All 10 were dressed in very colorful and very revealing clothing, and as if that wasn't enough, they were shortly followed by two guys wearing gymnasts' outfits, that left very little to the imagination as they jumped around throwing confetti all around the class. And finally, a small marching band consisting of 4 drummers made its way into class.

Everyone stared in shock, as the marching festival invaded the previously calm class. Stupefied, Sakura noted that they were slowly yet surely making their way towards her as the entire class gawked.

A second later, the still frozen Sakura found herself wearing a crown that has been placed on her head by one of the male belly dancers. The guy was wearing roughly the equivalent of Sakura's weight in makeup, alongside the most dazzling smile she's ever seen.

"W…What?" She mumbled, as some of her students started snickering at their otherwise no-nonsense instructor, currently being draped in a pink and gold feathery outfit, while she donned a bright gold crown.

"What are you doing?" They girl questioned, eyes widening as she weighed the implications this would most definitely have on her reputation. "Who are you people?" She questioned, temper flaring slightly.

The dancers smiled, as a redheaded female took a step forwards as if to make a declaration.

In a second, the sound of the drums died out as the drummers lent their full attention to the woman about to speak.

"We are the high board of Konoha's: 'Cultural Affairs, Charity and Entertainment Committee'. And we are here to welcome you on board Haruno Sakura-San." The woman declared in an authoritative voice.

Silence greeted her words as Sakura's students started shifting their eyes between Sakura and the woman.

"What are you talking about?" The poor medic questioned looking at the feathery cape like thing that she now wore.

"I'm talking about you being chosen as our final bachelorette for this weekend's: Bachelorette Auction." The woman said in a deep voice. It really did sound like she was advertising the auction rather than answering Sakura's question.

"Ba-Bachelorette auction?" Sakura parroted questioningly.

"Oh, come on, don't act shy, Haruno-san." The red head advised. "After all, in a few days you'll get the chance to stand in front of hundreds of men fighting each other and raising their bids just for a date with you." She said, theatrically winking at the audience. "And everyone here of course is invited to attend the event, as well as bid. How nice would it be for one of you guys to end up on a date with your lovely teacher here?" She added like a true advertising pro. "And don't you forget, all proceeds of this event go to charity, so you're dating and you're donating." The woman said, flashing a self-congratulatory smile at her clever pun.

It really was an advertisement.

Sakura gaped.

"I never signed up for this!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, no need for shyness dear, we have your name right here." The woman said with a smile too sweet to be genuine. "Isn't that your handwriting?"

Once again the medic gaped at the piece of paper offered to her, completely dumbfounded.

It really was her handwriting, but how?

*Good question nimrod,*Inner Sakura said with a sarcastic sneer. *You jinxed it, that's how!* She screamed.

The pink haired medic gulped, as she shifted her eyes ever so slowly towards the person she knew to be the culprit.

The self-assured Uchiha held her gaze, completely unmoved by her accusatory look.

"Alrighty then," The woman declared, throwing a companionable arm on Sakura's shoulders. "Now that we've broken the good news to you, I'll see you on Friday, dear." She added giving the girl's shoulders a squeeze. "The auction starts at 7 but be there by 5 for pointers and makeup." She declared. "And of course all of you should be there to support your beloved teacher…. Donations and contributions are much welcome." She finished with a colossal smile.

As if on cue, the drummers started banging their instruments once more, and the belly dancers of both genders started shaking their goodies, as the confetti holders made sure to splash some in Sakura's face as they retreated.

After all, it wasn't enough that she now wore a crown and feathers; she also had to glitter and shine.

*I am a genius.* Inner Sakura declared. *I totally called this one.*

Sakura's body shook with anger, more so when she saw her students' sneering faces and heard their underhanded whispers as they retreated from the class.

At least some of them had the decency to hold their laughter and attempt to look casual as they walked out. But the second they stepped outside, Sakura flinched at the raucous wave of laughter that ensued.

Absently, the girl pondered the fact that those dancers must have passed by the hospital lobby on their way up, they must have been asked for the reason for their visit and they sure as hell must have explained to her colleagues that the hospital's top medic, medicine's pride and joy, the Hokage's very own apprentice and their honored and respectful senpai is a participant in what is known as a: 'Bachelorette Auction'.

Sakura gaped, her eyes wide open, and yet completely blind to everything that was happening around her. She didn't even notice it when the room went quiet, as its occupants flitted merrily out, leaving but one person behind.

Said person got to his feet and calmly placed his hands in his pockets, as he watched the poor medic. His eyes: narrow, speculative, even expectant.

Sakura blinked.

"YOU!" She growled.

"Yes, Sakura." He questioned calmly.

"I… I …. I….." She stuttered in sheer anger. "I will kill you!" She roared.

At that his lips quirked up in a ghost of a smile.

"Will you?" He questioned, taking a few steps forwards in lithe athletic poise.

Sakura gulped.

"I sure as hell will try." She roared.

"You have no reason to be upset, Sakura." His velvety smooth tenor echoed as he continued to move towards the girl.

"You just ruined my reputation." She accused, way too angry to be intimidated by his approach.

*I'll punch him in the face, even if he kills me for it.* She reasoned.

"Leave my brother, and I shall fix everything for you, Sakura." He purred, as he finally arrived in front of her.

Sakura froze, in a second, her anger dissipated as her heart started racing.

He was beautiful, too beautiful, no one should be allowed to be that beautiful or enticing. And no one that beautiful and enticing should be standing so dangerously close to her or speaking her name with such familiarity.

"No." She said stubbornly, before pausing to congratulate herself and swear that she'll never come down on herself for being a scaredy cat ever again. For all she knew, she deserved a medal for uttering this one syllable.

Itachi paused, coming to a stop a few inches away from the medic.

And Sakura had to extend a hand and hold onto her desk, so as to keep herself from falling to her knees at his next action.

Itachi raised a hand and swiftly removed the ridiculous crown that was on her head.

And Sakura froze on impact as he moved the same hand to brush her hair ever so gently so as to remove the glitter and confetti. It was hard to imagine that someone too powerful and strict could be touching her at the moment with such care and tenderness.

"Uchiha-San…."

"It's Itachi," He said absently, his hand still busy with her pink locks. Sakura had to restrain herself from shivering under his touch. "Do you love him, Sakura?" he questioned in a tone that she has never heard him use before.

It was his voice but somehow different, it actually held an emotion, and one that Sakura couldn't for the life of her place, but for all she knew, it was one that easily made her heart race, her breath hitch and her vision blur. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that it was too much.

Sakura valiantly raised her eyes to meet his, suddenly finding herself staring up into intense onyxes; Sakura moved to take a step back, but the hand in her hair moved to cup her face and the other hand found its way to her waist, as the Uchiha made sure she remained bound to him, her emerald eyes held in captivity by his unrelenting charcoal orbs.

Sakura blushed a deep shade of red that could easily rival Garaa's hair color.

She never felt this way before. Never.

And she had no idea what she was feeling, but she knew that she was too far gone to be forming coherent thoughts, or doing anything for that matters, other than stare at the man in front of her. Yesterday, he was hot, but today, something about his demeanor, and the way his voice was echoing in her ears made him irresistible.

"Please answer my question, Sakura." The Uchiha said in the same tone. "Are you in love with my brother?" He added, his hands still entrapping and his eyes still captivating.

"I… I… I….."

"Sakura." Was the last thing she heard, before her vision dimmed and she found herself unable to stand in an upright position.

She was falling and she knew it, but absently and very distantly she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and pull her up against a hard rock chest.

Her breathing came shallow, and the last she heard was her name spoken in a tone that could have sent her fainting once more if she wasn't already on the verge of obliviousness.

And just like that, Sakura was out.

* * *

**I promised fluffiness, yet this is all I can deliver for now ;)**

**Next chapter will also have some fluffiness. **

**I don't plan on making this a particularly long story, so just 6 or 7 more chapters tops. Thus, you guys should expect a few plot twists in the near future. Oh, yah, there is a plot ;) **

**Umm, and for those who don't know, a "Bachelor/ Bachelorette auction" is one where people (mainly celebrities) are displayed so that the audience members could bid for a date. Highest bidder wins the date.. Poor, Poor Sakura. **

**Now I would really love to hear what you guys think about Itachi's recent actions. **

**Please Review. **


	10. Chapter 10

*What a dream!* Sakura thought tiredly, as she stretched her arms out, eyes still closed and her face graced with an expression of sheer bliss.

She inhaled greedily and enjoyed the scent of her freshly washed covers, a very exhilarating feeling indeed.

She shoved a hand underneath her fluffy pillow and sighed happily, as she finally opened her eyes and took in the sight of the morning light gleaming through her window and reflecting so very purely off of her all white bed.

*Wow.* She purred, closing her eyes again and shifting to lay on her back, Sakura marveled at the feeling of being so very well rested and the amazing feeling of waking up after a bad dream only to realize that none of it is true. Nothing like having a horrible vision could highlight just how amazing one's life is.

*Oh, it was horrible.* Sakura narrated, as inner Sakura perched herself on a couch in Sakura's mind and rubbed at her eyes, looking like she really didn't want to be bothered at the moment. *I was in class, and belly dancers actually crashed in.* the girl laughed. *Can you believe that? Belly dancers, in class.* She giggled. *Oh, man, my subconscious really is weird. But I'm not that surprised, it has spun **you** out after all.* She added addressing her now incredulous inner self.

*Man, you've just taken denial to a whole new level, haven't you? Such a talent you have.* She marveled with a low whistle.

Sakura paused looking at her alter ego.

*What are you talking about? What do you mean 'denial'?* She questioned.

As a response, inner Sakura just looked pointedly back at her. And all of a sudden it seemed as if something clicked in the girl's mind, and all of the last day's memories came rushing back, flooding every corner of her brain.

Hastily, Sakura sat up in bed, looking around her like a mad person.

A second later, she got a head rush and fell right back on the soft, freshly washed mattress.

*At least I'm home.* She reasoned, slightly relaxing. *How did I get here anyway? Last thing I remember I was at the hospital, talking to…* She trailed off.

*Yes….* Inner Sakura beckoned for her to finish her sentence. *You were talking to…*

*How did I get here?* Sakura asked her annoying other self, no need diverting her attention to unnecessary topics, especially now that she really needed to focus.

*How would I know?* Inner Sakura shot. *When you're out, I'm out, stupid. That's just how it works.*

Sakura glared.

*Then what the hell are you useful for.* She said mentally folding her arms in front of her.

*Well, I offer much needed criticisms relating to the way you look, act and talk.* She said brightly, genuinely happy at getting the chance to list her epithets. *I am also pretty sure that I exist so that one day when you're hit by a freak lightning bolt, we'd get to switch places and you'd be the inner.*

Narrowing her eyes threateningly, Sakura tried once again to get out of bed, this time a lot slower and more cautious.

*I don't even know why I bother talking to you.* Sakura said sourly.

*Because you're crazy, that's why.* Inner Sakura pitched. *Why else would you have long winded conversations with yourself.*

And that was when Sakura slid off the bed, wondering which was worse; Itachi or her inner self.

Talk about finding yourself between a rock and a hard place.

*He's the hard place isn't he?* inner once again offered, trying to steer Sakura's attention to a naughty place.

Sakura shook her head.

*Shut up, I need to find food.*She threatened, as she slowly padded towards her kitchen.

*What food? The only thing we have is water and a week old open can of beans that I'm pretty sure we have never got around to refrigerating.* Inner Sakura said truthfully.

Looking rather dejected and thoroughly torn at the thought of not getting food, Sakura couldn't help but ponder the fact that she would most probably faint again if she didn't by some miracle manage to locate something to eat in her kitchen. She really didn't have enough energy to go somewhere for food like she normally did. And if she didn't eat soon, she was sure that the floor would once again rise to meet her face.

Walking desperately through her living room, Sakura finally reached her kitchen and took one final step through the doorway with a pleading look on her face, as if begging her kitchen to produce some food for her. She wasn't really very picky; she'd eat anything, even dirt at the moment; as long as it helped keep her upright.

The second she cast her eyes into the kitchen, Sakura's eyes went wide, as she pondered the very valid possibility that she is still sleeping. For how else could she explain the fact that Uchiha Itachi was standing in her kitchen, looking all sorts of sexy in a black T-shirt and a pair of jeans, as his hands fished through one of the drawers for a spoon that he eventually located and turned around to look at Sakura with the calmest and most impassive expression on his face.

Sakura almost lost her balance at the sheer nonchalance of his expression.

"Are you planning to make a habit out of fainting every time you see me, Sakura?" Came his throaty purr.

Sakura just looked at him for a second, as she attempted to assure herself that she wasn't dreaming. "Fainting…." She repeated without really thinking about the word. "Every time I see you…" She parroted, her voice week and apprehensive.

Itachi just looked back at her, clearly aware of the fact that she was still in a daze.

A second later it clicked once more.

And the Uchiha could plainly see her reaction coming from a mile away, as Sakura's expression turned from dazed and confused, to indignant and thoroughly pissed in a nanosecond.

"WHAT!" She exclaimed, as loud as she could manage given how tired she was at the moment. "I did not faint because of you!" She added completely outraged and thankful that in her current state she probably didn't have enough blood flowing around to enable her to blush. "I hadn't slept or eaten for more than a day and I had a mission, training, a shift at the hospital and a class." She listed. "It was by no means because of you. I mean honestly, how arrogant can someone ge…" the rest of her sentence was cut off by the fact that red flags started waving in her mind, mostly because inner Sakura was waving them around.

*Moron!* her alter ego reprimanded. *From now on, everything you say has to be run by me for approval, at least 24 hours before you say it.* She declared.

Unfortunately for inner Sakura though, Sakura was anything but apologetic. The worst that could happen from her point of view would be for Itachi to think that she was a damned fangirl. He was arrogant enough as it was, thank you very much.

Accordingly, Sakura opted out of a defensive stance and chose to put her hands on her hips and glare at the Uchiha.

Completely unmoved and seemingly unaware of Sakura's current mental debacle, Itachi just regarded her calmly for a second, and Sakura was surprised when the man actually scowled.

"Does this happen to you often? Sakura." Itachi questioned in a calm tenor.

Sakura blinked.

"What…."

"Do you normally pass out, out of exhaustion?"

"Umm, well, I don't normally pass out, but after many grueling hours I normally come home about ready to faint." She gave a wry smile, as she reminisced. It was true that she made it a habit to spread herself too thin. "I guess I overestimated my stamina last night, I haven't been teaching the class for long and normally I would have been home earlier." She said in all honesty.

At that Itachi's scowl turned into an appraising look and his gaze turned intense as he spoke next. "You should never let yourself get that exhausted again." He said in a cold tenor, as if talking to a petulant three year old child.

Sakura shrugged, not really sure what business this was of his.

"Well, it's not something I could help, I mean I have work and…"

She trailed off as his steely gaze turned murderous.

"Do you think this is strength Sakura?" He asked in a cold tenor. "Do you think the state you were in last night was something that you should be commended for?" He hissed, his tone one of unparalleled castigation.

Sakura flinched. He really is imposing. She actually felt guilty and rather apologetic under his unwavering gaze.

"I guess not." She allowed.

Itachi just looked at her, obviously waiting for something and something in Sakura's mind told her that this unnerving gaze of his would never waver until she says it.

"Fine," She caved. "I'd do my best to not get to that state again." She said with a sigh.

Itachi looked unimpressed.

"This is not good enough, Sakura." He said in an impassive tone. "Never let yourself get that exhausted again." He instructed.

Sakura just sighed, before getting an idea, "Hey, wouldn't it be much better for you if I actually hurt myself? This is your master plan after all." She accused, her mind suddenly flashing to the images of belly dancers and a broken reputation.

"It was never my plan to hurt you, Sakura." He said enigmatically, before flashing a sexy as hell grin that could very easily send the medic right back to dreamland.

Sakura coughed, to hide her embarrassment and opted for a change of subject, a much needed change of subject.

"Why are you here?" She asked flat out.

I mean, Itachi Uchiha's natural place isn't Sakura Haruno's kitchen, so her bewilderment was not without justification after all.

"I am cooking you breakfast." He said simply, almost teasingly, before turning around and using the spoon that he just located to give a stir to one of the pans that he had on the stove.

Sakura gulped.

*Uchiha Itachi is cooking us breakfast. All hail whatever voodoo made this happen… Horaayyyyy.* Inner Sakura squealed. As Sakura gaped at the Uchiha.

"Where… Where did you even find food?" She questioned, before realizing that this should be the least of her concerns at the moment. "Why are you cooking me breakfast?" She added.

"Hn." The Uchiha heir said eloquently, before inclining his head to the side as the spoon in his hand rose to his lips to give him a sample of what he was making. A second later, he lowered the spoon and licked his lips, with an apprehensive, "Hmm." and for an unfathomable reason, the poor medic found herself transfixed by the action, as she unconsciously swallowed and promptly turned red.

She looked down, just in time, since Itachi chose that moment to turn around and face her.

"I went out for food while you were sleeping." He finally answered, eyes fixed on the girl who was now staring at the floor. "And I am cooking you breakfast because you obviously are in no shape to do so yourself." He said simply.

"You brought me here?" She questioned, eyes going wide.

Her answer was a simple; "Hn." As Itachi turned around, having deemed her questions far too mundane to merit a real answer from him, or keep him engaged in the conversation.

"How did you know where I lived?" She questioned.

"Hn."

Translation: 'You'd be stupid if you think that there is anything that I don't know.'

*So arrogant.* She mentally concluded.

*That means he carried us all the way here.* Inner Sakura exclaimed in sheer delight.

"You carried me!" Sakura voiced without thinking. "Through the hospital, in front of people….." She rambled on. *Oh, the humiliation.*

Itachi turned around, wearing a wolfish grin. "Don't worry Sakura, no one saw us leave. But, yes I did carry you here." He declared mischievously.

Sakura blushed, and Itachi's eyes were once again glued to the girl, almost eager to see what her response would be.

"Umm…" She said knotting her hands together and looking at them as if they were the most important thing in the world. "Thank you." She said despite herself. Looking up; Sakura had to quickly shift her eyes back to her hands as Itachi seemed to have eyes only for her, if she didn't know better she would have thought that he looked rather surprised at her statement. "I mean, you didn't have to help me, since we're enemies and all, but you….."

"Enemies?" His delicious voice cut her off. "Is that what we are, Sakura?" He questioned, eyes turning inquisitive.

His intoxicating tenor threw her off. There was something quite breathtaking about the way he just manages to roll her name off of his tongue and every time he said it, Sakura had to take a second and remind herself to breathe.

She shrugged.

Itachi turned around.

"Go sit, Sakura." He ordered in a no nonsense tone. "I will bring you your breakfast once it is done." He explained.

Sakura blinked.

*Did I say something wrong?*

"Huh." Was all she managed.

He turned to look at her.

"I do not like to repeat myself, Sakura." He said in all his anbu captain glory. "You are in no condition to be standing at the moment."

Sakura eyed him for a second, before surprising them both by smiling.

"How could you be so formal when you're saying something so nice?" She said without thinking.

Itachi just looked at her, his expression visibly softening at the sight of her disarming and ridiculously innocent smile.

"Go sit, Sakura." He said in a palpably gentler tone.

Sakura grinned.

"You just repeated yourself." She pointed out.

Itachi smirked, "I know." He said and something about it made Sakura blush.

"I… I'll go sit." She mumbled.

"Good idea." Itachi said and Sakura was a hundred percent sure that he was laughing at her even if not out loud.

Turning around, Sakura tried to look as dignified as possible as she exited the kitchen. However, the fact remains that she was awfully tired and had to walk rather slow and hold onto things as she walked.

"Do you need me to carry you, Sakura?" Itachi offered taking a few steps forwards, all business like and commanding.

Sakura heroically fought back a blush. "Nope, I'm good." She said valiantly.

*I hate you.* Inner Sakura declared.

Nonetheless, Itachi still hovered behind her, she could just feel his presence a few steps away. She could even feel him standing in the doorway to the kitchen and watching like a hawk, until she sluggishly reached the living room couch and plopped down on it.

A second later, Sakura heard distant shuffling noises in the kitchen, as the Uchiha's full time heir, and currently her part time chef; resumed his ministrations.

The girl sighed as her tormented brain struggled to formulate a coherent thought capable of shedding some light on what just happened.

For her part, inner Sakura was furthest away from thinking.

*He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast….* She sang, dancing around Cha-cha style.

Sakura tried desperately to drown out her inner's screams of glee. This man truly is mystifying, that's the only way to describe him. One minute he's this inexcusably evil person who's dedicated a ridiculous amount of effort to destroying her and the next he goes all caring and kind and starts to reprimand her for not taking good care of herself.

*I get it,* She surmised. *His plan really isn't to scare or seduce me away, he's merely trying to confuse me into insanity and that way Sasuke would be girlfriend free.* She concluded with a sigh.

*Doesn't matter.* The alter ego twitted in song format. *He's here, he's hot and he was oh so sexy when he was concerned for us. And oh, did I mention, he's cooking us breakfast…..* And at that she once again broke into a frantic foot shuffling routine as she abandoned all normal dance moves and opted for a flailing and swirling sort of gyrating dance that made it almost impossible for any human being to get even remotely close to her.

Sakura sighed, unable to stop a smile from spreading across her lips. It was kinda nice to have someone look after her. She has dedicated her entire life to looking after people, and would never want to burden anyone with her problems. She was too proud for that, she wanted to stand on her own and prove herself and that was why she never ever allows anyone to care for her. But for some reason, right now as she remembers his disapproving look, and castigating tenor she feels a bit warm, and sorta safe.

Sakura's eyes flew open as she shook her head. *What the hell am I thinking?* She grumbled disapprovingly. *He's my enemy; for all I know he's currently poisoning my food.*

*doesn't matter, you'll eat anything he puts in front of you. And you know why?* Inner Sakura started. *Because, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast, He's cooking us breakfast….* She chanted.

Ah, but being in her head was truly an exhausting task.

Sakura blinked as the Uchiha emerged a few minutes later from the kitchen carrying two enormous trays and walking with athletic grace towards her table to set them down.

"I'll help you." She offered, feeling like a bad host to let a guest serve her like that. And not a normal guest; It's Uchiha Itachi mind you.

"Sit." He commanded in a stern tone that made Sakura freeze.

*Wow,* She mentally marveled. *He's too intimidating.* She pondered as she watched him put one of the trays on the table in front of her.

She found herself holding her breath at his sudden closeness. She could almost touch him, as he bowed down to set the tray.

He straightened up.

"Until you have eaten and your strength has been restored, you will not move." He said authoritatively before walking back to the kitchen to retrieve the rest of the meal.

Sakura let out the breath she unconsciously held.

*I'd say never cross a person like that; but you already did.* Inner Sakura pitched in with a haughty look.

Sakura sighed, however, before she could ponder how intimidating the man was, her senses were assaulted by an assortment of heavenly mouthwatering smells.

Sakura inhaled deeply as she surveyed the tray, it had scrambled eggs with strips of something that smelled absolutely sumptuous, a baked potato with butter and cream and towards the far end of the tray were some delightfully looking pieces of French toast topped with little pieces of fruit. The other tray held jam and butter, alongside an assortment of pastries and cookies that made Sakura's stomach jump for joy.

Sakura gawked.

"I did not know what you preferred for breakfast, so I opted for a big meal, given your current condition." The Uchiha spoke as he made his way towards her once more, carrying a tray which he masterfully set in front of her so that the girl saw two glasses of orange juice, two cups, a pot of hot water, a small pitcher of milk, sugar and cream, coffee and a few tea bags.

*He thought of everything.*

"That's… .That's…." Sakura stuttered. "Wow." She finished.

"You should eat." He offered as he sat next to her on the sofa.

Sakura gulped, thanking her lucky stars that her couch was big enough for there to be some distance between them.

Slowly she lifted her fork and took a bite out of her eggs, closing her eyes Sakura learned just why this man was hailed as a genius.

*Perfect.* She marveled.

"Finish it." Itachi urged from his perch by her side.

Sakura nodded, having absolutely no qualms about that.

"Where did you learn to cook like that?" The wondered.

Itachi picked up his own fork.

"It is not particularly hard." He mused with an amused expression on his face.

"Are you kidding me, last week I tried to boil an egg and I almost burnt down the entire place." She said earnestly.

"And this is why you don't keep any food in your apartment." He surmised.

"Well, it's easier to go out for food. Less dangerous at least." She said between bites.

Itachi scowled,

"This is very irresponsible of you, Sakura." He reprimanded. "It is a hazard to your health." Came his castigating tenor.

At the mention of her name, the girl turned to face the Uchiha sitting next to her.

"You're a hazard to my health." She said impulsively, before blushing and almost slapping a hand on her mouth.

Itachi looked at her, with a raised eyebrow and eyes alight with silent humor.

"I am?" He asked in a light tenor.

The girl blushed.

She nodded.

"Well, I would never want to endanger your health, Sakura." He said in a sexy as hell tone.

She blushed even harder, but she wasn't about to let that deter her.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" She questioned valiantly.

Itachi took a second to regard the girl appraisingly.

"I have never been accused of being nice before." He reflected.

The girl grinned.

"Never?" She questioned.

"Hn."

She had to laugh at that.

Itachi watched her all the while, as she giggled.

"Well why are you?" She finally managed.

"Why would I not be nice to you, Sakura?" He intoned suavely.

*Hot!* Was inner Sakura's opinion.

"Because you want me to leave your brother." She offered.

At that, Itachi's expression grew noticeably more reserved.

"What would you like to drink, Sakura?" He questioned in a direct gesture for her to drop this line of inquiry immediately.

She sighed.

"You're just like Sasuke." She accused.

Itachi gave her a questioning look.

"When he wants me to stop talking about something, he too tries to divert the conversation away from it like you just did." She said teasingly.

Itachi gave her an amused look.

"Umm, I'll have some coffee, please." She said politely.

Itachi smirked.

"As you please." He intoned in a husky voice that caused Sakura to once again go red in the face.

Sakura watched as the Uchiha started pouring her a cup of coffee.

"Sugar?" He questioned.

"2 spoons." She requested.

A second later, he handed her a cup and proceeded to mix himself a similar cup of coffee yet he didn't add any sugar.

"You brought belly dancers to my class." She said bravely. For some reason she felt like she could talk to the guy, which was really strange given who he was and what he was attempting to do.

"Hn." He said casually.

Translation: 'Yes I did'

She scowled.

"That was just evil." She commented, taking a sip of her coffee.

"This is the second time you've called me evil, Sakura." He intoned dangerously.

She cleared her throat.

"Sorry?" She said, not really sounding apologetic.

*Idiot, you should be begging for his forgiveness. You're gonna make him hurt us. And not even the good kind of hurt.* The inner screamed.

As a response Itachi eyed her appraisingly for a second.

"You are very brave, Sakura-san." He said in a delectable tenor.

Sakura blushed.

However, before Sakura could say one more word, she was stunned speechless as the door to her apartment flew open with a loud bang.

And a second later, Naruto stood in the doorway.

"Sakura-chaaaan." He declared loudly, before his bewildered blues took notice of the Uchiha sitting impassively next to his friend. "You… You…. You…." He stuttered, before proceeding to run around the room like a chicken that just got its head cut off. It took him a few seconds but Naruto finally located a good hiding place and proceeded to make a dive behind an imposingly big chair that stood in the girl's living room.

Sakura watched in stunned silence, while Itachi held a look of dark amusement.

"What is going on here?" Sasuke whose entrance into the apartment was obscured by the show Naruto just put on; questioned from the doorway.

"What are you doing with Sasuke's brother, Sakura-chan?" Naruto's disembodied voice echoed from behind the chair. "Oh, my, God, he kidnapped you didn't he?" He concluded.

"This is her apartment, dobe." Sasuke reasoned. It is indeed hard to reason with idiots, as Sasuke could very readily testify.

"So?" Naruto questioned. "He could kidnap her in her apartment, didn't you hear the stories about what he did to those S-class criminals in Suna." He reflected. "He could do anything." Naruto reasoned. He did still have the scars that proved just what Itachi was capable of.

Sasuke almost rolled his eyes.

"He could be torturing her as we speak." Naruto yelled frantically. "Run, Sakura-chan….."

"Oh, come on, my little cousin would never do that." Came an easy tone from the balcony and everyone watched as Shisui waltzed in like it was the most normal thing in the world for him to have flickered into someone's apartment.

Naruto jumped from behind the chair and ran so that he was standing right behind Sasuke.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke questioned in a cold tenor.

"Well, since you're all here, I thought I'd come and visit with the kitten too." He said with a wink Sakura's way.

For her part the girl was too weirded out by all the people in her apartment to say anything. By her side, Itachi looked as unimpressed as ever, as he took a swig from his cup, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"Eat, Sakura." He commanded.

Sakura nodded without even listening to what he said. Truth be told, she really wanted to continue eating. As well as continue with the whole weird yet somewhat nice morning she was having.

"What is going on here?" Naruto questioned from behind Sasuke.

Sakura stared at him for a second.

"Sakura?" Came Sasuke's question.

She shook her head.

"I… I… This is…."

"Breakfast." Itachi finished for her.

*This must look awfully wrong, with me sitting here with him and… Oh my God.*

"Are you friends with him now?" Sasuke questioned.

Sakura shook her head on instinct.

"We… I was tired and I fainted, he brought me home…. This is….."

"So you're not friends?" the blonde beamed from behind the youngest Uchiha.

Sakura paused for a second, before shaking her head.

"Awww, that's too bad, you two make a great looking couple….." Shisui paused. "Of friends." He added belatedly.

Sakura blushed.

"We're leaving, Shiusi." Itachi said as he got to his feet briskly and started making his way towards the door.

Sakura could only watch as the Uchiha casually strolled out, without a word, and disappeared from her view, followed shortly by a smirking Shisui who paused only to wink at her. "Have a good day kitten." He said cheerfully.

And for some reason Sakura found herself oddly dejected and feeling like the place has suddenly gone empty, even though her two best friends were standing right in front of her, with puzzled looks on their faces.

*Good luck explaining this to them.* Came her inner's helpful contribution.

.

"Well, as long as Sasuke-kun bets on you everything should be fine." Ino declared cheerfully. She has walked in a couple of minutes after Itachi and Shisui left, declaring that she has been stalking Sasuke like she normally does, when she saw him come in and just couldn't handle the suspense anymore when she saw the two Uchiha walking out. So naturally she had to come in and see what was happening.

Sakura nodded.

"Sakura," Sasuke started.

"It's fine, I can take it." She assured him. She knew how much he wanted to teach his brother that lesson and she did promise to help him. Not to mention that it wasn't like her to make a run for it mid battle.

"This means a lot, Sakura." The Uchiha said appreciatively.

"Man, that was really weird, with him coming here and all, I mean." Naruto mused.

Sakura nodded.

"He was being very nice too." She declared.

Sasuke scowled.

"Sakura," He started in a serious tone.

"Yes?"

"You do know that he was just playing you, right?" Sasuke said brusquely.

Sakura almost flinched, but managed to steady herself.

"I….."

"My brother would do anything to get what he wants." The Uchiha declared. "If you get fooled by his words, it will be all over." Sasuke said darkly.

Sakura frowned.

"I know that." She said in a dejected tone.

At that, Sasuke got to his feet.

"I will see you tomorrow at the auction, then." He declared.

"See you, Sakura-chan." Naruto declared, as he followed his friend out. "If you feel up to it, we're gonna be at the training grounds." He shouted as he disappeared through the doorway.

Sakura sighed.

"Wow, forehead, you look too sad." Ino remarked as the door closed.

Sakura looked at her friend. She wasn't aware that she looked sad.

"Oh, you know, I have a lot on my plate." She reasoned.

"Well, you don't have to worry; I'll be hosting the bachelorette auction." She declared.

Sakura stared at her.

"You will?" She asked, surprised.

"Yup," the blonde declared, patting her hair. "They asked me a few days ago, they said I'd be a great host, but I'm pretty sure they just want me to host since if I actually participate everyone will save their money to bid for me and no one would be left to bid for the other ordinary girls like yourself." She said modestly.

"Yah, that's why." Sakura said sarcastically.

"So, cheer up, you won't be alone. There is nothing to worry about." The blonde assured her.

Sakura smiled, but it didn't touch her eyes.

*Why am I this upset?* She marveled. Something was weighing down on her chest.

*You really don't know, do you?* Inner concluded. *Quite the genius you are.* She added snidely.

.

**So, poor Sakura's upset for some reason, I wonder why? :D **

**Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one ….**

**Next chapter marks the start of the auction…. Yup, that should be interesting ;) **

**Please Review. **


	11. Chapter 11

Red fingernails shining fabulously against ashen skin, as long womanly fingers move swiftly: dragging with them marvelous crystal stockings across a raised leg. Legs that run for days align side by side, as their owner straightens up and steps gracefully onto red pointy stilettos. Eyes are drawn to the fluid motion of dark wavy shoulder length locks as they cascade swiftly and lively to drape over exposed shoulders. Red lipstick shimmers, as pearly whites are exposed to the marveling onlooker in a smile that stays south of deep onyx eyes. After all, it isn't supposed to be a kind and genuine smile, more like a smile that says: 'You can look all you like, but you'll never come close to looking like me'. One last admiring look shared with an approving reflection and the red clad woman is sauntering off, leaving behind her a wave of sensuous perfume and a stunned medic.

*So this is what women look like.* Inner Sakura marveled, in awe. *Who knew.* She added with an apprehensive whistle.

Sakura winced at the underhanded comment, clearly intended to undermine her femininity.

*Your what now?* The alter ego questioned, leaning forwards as if straining to hear. *what femininity are you talking about? Boyish charm, that's what you have. And it's not even charm… You're just boyish.* Inner Sakura reflected.

Sakura twitched.

*Shut up, you moron… Like you're one to talk.* She hissed.

"Forehead," came Ino's ready greeting as Sakura stepped into the huge foyer that is the makeup and dressing room for the contestants, adjoining this room, of course, was the stage where the girls were to be paraded.

The girl blanched at the thought.

"Come in, come in," the perky blonde said cheerfully, as she bounded up to her mesmerized friend. "This is your station." She cooed, as she led Sakura to a chair sitting innocently in front of a mirror. "I made sure that the makeup artist knows that you are of special needs, so she won't be taking your opinion into account." She whispered conspiratorially, "And I have taken the liberty of picking your dress for you." She twitted. She really did like to be in control. "No need to thank me." Ino added with a smile.

Sakura scowled at her friend.

"a….." Was all she managed to say before the blonde interrupted.

"No time for chit-chat forehead… I am the host, you know." She said haughtily, as she raised her head skywards. "Naruto and Sasuke-kun will be arriving shortly, and once here, as promised, Sasuke-kun will out-bit anyone who makes a play for you." She said comfortingly. "Like anyone would even bother." She added under her breath. "Any-who, no need to worry, just sit down, try to assume a female-like appearance and it'll all be over soon."

And on this remark, Ino was racing away to tend to her other duties. Actually, Sakura was pretty sure Ino had absolutely nothing else to do, but was just acting busy to look important.

The medic sighed, as she sat in front of her mirror, absently noting that there were 3 rows of mirrors in the giant hall, each with almost 5 similar mirror setups, which meant that there were at least 14 other contestants.

*Great.* She thought bitterly, as a pair of bright emerald eyes looked tiredly back at her. Sakura reflected on her appearance as she thought back to the lady in red that just walked out. *Pink hair, green eyes, short build,*

*No boobs….* Inner Sakura picked up the train of thought. *You forgot: no boobs.* She reiterated helpfully. *Hey, if they want you to come up with a stage name for this thing, try: 'boobless'. _'And now, please put your hands together, for the one, the only: 'boooooooobless''_* She announced, before doubling over in a fit of laughter in appreciation for her own wit.

Sakura twitched, wondering if it were a capital crime to assassinate your own alter ego.

.

Sakura gave a long tortured sigh, as the makeup artist started putting the final touches on her masterpiece that is Sakura's very own face. She was having her makeup done in a rather unique location, namely, a bleak room that looked like it was meant as a storage unit, with absolutely no windows and no mirrors. Thus, Sakura had no idea what she looked like, especially since she was fitted into her dress in that very room as well.

When she asked why she was being prepped there rather than in the large foyer like everyone else, she was told that it was Ino's orders, so that she doesn't ruin the look that Ino so diligently put together for her, by giving her less than informed opinion on it.

All Sakura knew was that her dress was a very soft shade of pink, it cascaded till right above her knees, with a very suggestive opening on the right that gave everyone a good look at her thigh, and what's more is that it had such a huge V-neck that insured that her cleavage was on constant display. Sakura sighed, she was pretty sure she looked really weird at the moment, especially with the custom made push up bra she just got stuffed in and the ridiculous pointy toed high heels.

*God, I feel like a clown.* She paused, contemplating the lack of a haughty retort from her other self. Evidently, she was expecting her to say that Sakura always looked like a clown, but the alter ego chose to hold her tongue.

Turning around with a speculative look on her face, Sakura found her other self sitting on the bank of a water stream, her eyes firmly fixed on the pages of a giant book that sits comfortably in her lap.

*What are you doing?* Sakura questioned cautiously. Actually, she was more stunned to see inner Sakura reading, than to see a water stream running languidly through the inner recesses of her mind.

*It's called reading.* Inner Sakura said absently, without looking up.

*Since when did you read?* Sakura said sarcastically. *What are you reading?* She questioned curiously.

*Secret Language of the Cricket.* Inner Sakura said absently.

Sakura blinked.

*Why?* She questioned, as if talking to crazy person with a hand detonating bomb in their hand.

Inner Sakura finally looked up, giving Sakura a look that made it clear that she thinks that the question is a rather dumb one. *Well, since the only thing we'll hear once you're on stage is the sound of crickets chirping; I figured I'd study their lingo, at least I'd know what they're saying.* She said matter of factly.

Sakura literally face palmed at that, torn between kicking her inner in the face and rolling her eyes at her sheer unadulterated stupidity.

Resigning herself to her bitter fate and even more bitter alter ego, Sakura offered a quick thank you to the makeup artist and got to her feet, walking out of the small mirror-less room where she was being preened and into the giant foyer where the rest of the contestants and staff were.

But much to Sakura's surprise, the second she stepped into the giant room, all action seemed to cease as the room occupants collectively turned their heads towards the medic.

Sakura inadvertently blushed 9 shades of scarlet, as she felt like she suddenly turned visible.

Breathing deeply, the medic stalked in, trying her best to walk steadily towards her assigned mirror, hoping to God that she didn't look as bad as all those on-lookers were making it seem. They were gaping at her, which she figured, could never be a good sign given that Ino is the mastermind behind her outfit.

And the second she reached the mirror the girl froze, eyes going wider than specially ordered giant saucers.

*Wow.* Was all inner Sakura managed, for once in her life failing to provide a verbose description of every thought that crosses her mind.

Sakura swallowed, unable to believe that the woman staring back at her really was her. She was all legs in her short pale pink dress, with a plunging neckline that made her look rather bodacious. Her long pink locks were styled rather elegantly so that they flowed down her back in a beautiful pink curtain that matched rather perfectly with the whole pink satin dress look. She was so much taller courtesy of her 9 inch heels and while they confounded her when it came to walking, she was starting to think that it was worth it. And to top it all off, her makeup was done to perfection. It wasn't too noticeable or assuming; pink lipstick, pale pink eye-shadow and marvelous eyeliner that made her emeralds pop. And finally, a hint of blush sealed the deal.

Sakura was stunned, who knew she could look this good.

*Wow,* Inner Sakura chimed in. *so, on your birth certificate, when they listed your gender as "female" they really were telling the truth.* She said in awe. *Who knew.* She finished with a disbelieving whistle.

Approval from inner Sakura, now that's a first.

Sakura grinned back at her reflection.

"Oh My God Forehead, you look great." Ino screamed from the doorway to the main stage where she has been busy inconspicuously watching the people arrive.

Shocked doesn't even begin to describe the state Sakura was in at the moment. Not only did she get complemented by her now Cricket-fluent inner self, but her perpetually disdainful best friend also threw her a complement, and about her looks mind you.

However, a second later something changed in Ino's face as she stalked towards Sakura and proceeded to punch her in the arm.

"What's wrong with you?" Sakura roared holding her hurt arm and feeling as if she was slightly overreacting to the punch because of how feminine she was feeling at the moment.

"Damn it, Forehead, if you can actually look like that, why the hell do you prance around in battle gear and white coats with absolutely no makeup on. What's wrong with you!" The blonde screamed in utter disappointment, before taking a second to sigh and run a hand through her blonde locks. "Oh, but thank God you have me to put you together like that." She said humbly. "I mean honestly, this is a stroke of my genius." She added gesturing an appreciating hand towards Sakura.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"You need a stroke alright." She said darkly.

Ino smirked.

"Kitty got claws." She said with a cat Rawrr, just for effect.

Sakura giggled at that and Ino joined her.

"Now, I'm actually not worried about you going out there, Forehead." Ino said mid giggles.

Sakura smiled at her friend.

She was annoying, arrogant and easily the mistress of back handed comments. However, she also was caring, nice when she wanted to and always ready to help.

A second later Ino's mood seemed to change and she scowled, causing Sakura to take a step back and put a hand on her previously punched arm just in case. You never know with crazy people, the smallest thing could set them off.

*Maybe the color pink gets her agitated.* Sakura marveled.

*Well that would explain a lot.* Inner pitched.

"What is it?" Sakura finally asked her friend.

"Well," Ino said, while patting her hair. "Sasuke-Kun isn't here yet." She said with a pout. "I really wanted him to see me on stage; I put on this dress just for him." She finished, twirling around to show off her layered red dress, which paired with her blonde locks now flowing freely made for a rather gorgeous sight.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"He's not here?" She roared. "He was supposed to be here an hour ago." She added frantically. "And it's not about your dress you idiot, how about me? He's supposed to bid for me." She finished, looking around her like she expected him to walk in through the door.

Ino rolled her eyes at her friend. "So selfish, Forehead." She accused. "Anyway, Dumbo was supposed to meet Sasuke-kun a while ago at the training grounds so that they can walk here together, but he didn't find him. So he came here to look for Sasuke-kun, but I told him that I didn't see him and sent him back out there to find my Sasuke-kun for me." She explained.

"Dumbo?" Sakura questioned distractedly.

"Naruto." Ino explained haughtily.

She and Naruto had issues, that's for sure. Well, she just didn't like him since he got to hang out with Sasuke all the time, which she always found offensive. If Sasuke-Kun needed a blonde to hang around him, there was only one blonde for the job as far as Ino was concerned and it ain't Naruto.

Sakura sighed, looking dejected.

"Alright, don't worry, Forehead, he probably ran into a few fans and they're asking him for his autograph or something."

"He isn't a celebrity." Sakura snapped.

"Yes he is." Ino said irritably. "Anyway, I've moved you to the end of the show, so that Sasuke-kun would be here to bid for you." She added soothingly.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

"You'll be fine Forehead." Her friend assured, as she started walking towards the stage once more. "Two minutes to show time people. Look Gorgeous." She ordered.

.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Ino's voice echoed boisterously through the place. "Welcome to the 'Cultural Affairs, Charity and Entertainment Committee's' annual Bachelorette Auction." Came her confident tenor and Sakura had to admire her friend's impeccable delivery, she sounded just like a bonafide announcer. "Tonight, you fine gentlemen will get the chance to place your bids for some of the finest ladies in Konoha." She said in a cheerful tone. "Well, not as fine as me." The blonde added as a side remark. "They're alright I guess." She added under her breath. "Now, the highest bidder, of course, will get the chance to take the lucky lady out for a date to a location of his choice. And don't you forget: all proceeds from this auction go to charity. More specifically, the money will be used to rebuild the rural areas of Konoha, which have been destroyed during the last war. And we all know that our brothers and sisters there really do need our help." She said solemnly and for the first time Sakura felt like maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that she is a part of this after all. "So remember, raise your bids gentlemen, you're not just helping your love life here." She finished lightheartedly and Sakura could just hear her seductive wink to the dominantly male audience.

"Now let's start the auction… Prepare your wallets and….. Go…" She said cheerfully. "Our first bachelorette is a beautiful Kunoichi, who is average-looking at best if you compare her to me. She works as Jiraiya-Sama's personal assistant. Please welcome Miss Ayame." Ino's voice boomed and Sakura stared in awe as the red-clad beauty from earlier walked gracefully towards the curtains that separate the main room from the stage and stepped onto the stage like she owned it.

Sakura gawked.

*This is Jiraiya-Sama's assistant?* She marveled. *No wonder he's so keen on working those days. It's all research and office work with him. Hell, that's why Naruto's been volunteering to assist him all the time.* Sakura concluded smartly.

A wave of appreciative claps followed the woman's graceful appearance and Sakura felt a surge of insecurity run through her as she heard the men throw money at the woman's feet.

Sakura closed her eyes in a silent prayer for this night to end with as few problems as possible.

.

"Get ready, please." One of the stagehands tells Sakura as he gestures for her to step towards the curtains.

Sakura is the last bachelorette for the night and by the time she's being led to the stage, it started to dawn on her that this means that less people would be interested, since by now they've already seen everyone and bet on the ones they liked.

Nonetheless, Sasuke should be here and he'd easily outbid anyone for her.

*This is ridiculous.* Inner Sakura chimed in. *It's not like he really is your boyfriend. Shouldn't you let the boys out there bid for you, maybe the jinx would be broken and we'd actually get a real boy for a boyfriend.* She berated.

*I don't want a boyfriend out of an auction. I have my pride.* Sakura said crossly.

*Well, miss spinster, enjoy your pride.*

Sakura shook her head to clear her mind.

Right now, she just needed to focus on the task at hand.

Walk straight, head up, breathe and for God's sake don't fall on stage. This was her mantra.

"And now, our last bachelorette for the night, my masterpiece; she's irritable, temperamental and annoying, she's Konoha's top medic and team seven's prized jewel, miss Sakura Haruno."

Sakura blanched listening to Ino's introduction. But, steeling herself, she hesitantly stepped on the stage.

And in a second, she went blind from the spot light that instantaneously found her.

A wave of clapping, cheering and wolf whistling tore through the place like a thunderstorm as all the men in the room took in the medic's sublime appearance.

Feeling both self-conscious and ridiculously flattered, Sakura flashed a small smile, and turned to look at Ino who was standing behind the announcer's podium at the other end of the stage, looking knowingly at her friend.

Sakura instantly relaxed.

*This is not so bad after all.* She pondered, puffing her chest out and visibly relaxing. *My reputation might be ruined but at least I'm hot.* She said attempting to placate herself.

Quickly, she scanned the room for Naruto and Sasuke. The room was huge with almost 100 tables facing the stage. There was a bar at the far end, and stunning waitresses were diligently serving drinks around the packed room, all in all, it was a very fancy scene. However, for the life of her Sakura couldn't locate Sasuke or Naruto. Which led her to conclude that they weren't there, since Naruto was very hard to miss, even in a crowd.

Sakura looked at Ino, who smiled apologetically at her, before clearing her throat.

"Let me start the bid at 500." She declared authoritatively and Sakura's heart sank. She really was standing in the middle of a room packed with strangers, who were bidding for a date with her and her best-friends were nowhere to be seen.

*Damn it.*

"600." Came a very familiar and oh-so-excited voice.

"600 from the guy in green spandex." Ino parroted, eyeing Lee wearily.

Lee flashed Sakura a winning smile and a thumbs up.

"I'll win your heart, my beautiful Sakura blossom." He declared.

Sakura gulped.

*A date with Lee.* She pondered. *Well, he's probably gonna take me running around Konoha, that's not very bad.* She assured herself.

*This is just sad.* Inner Sakura chimed in.

"700." A man in a tuxedo declared raising his hand.

Sakura looked at Ino who shook her head indicating that she too had no idea who that man was.

"800." Another anonymous customer declared.

"900." This time it was another familiar voice, as none other than Uchiha Shisui, stepped down from his bar stool and started walking closer to the stage.

Sakura gaped at him and he flashed her a wolfish grin and a reassuring wink.

Ino's jaw dropped as she eyed Sasuke's cousin.

*Well, he's a renowned player, but at least I know him.* She thought positively.

"1000." Lee blurted, flashing a sidelong glance at his Sensei sitting beside him. Gai nodded, which Sakura took to indicate that he's got Lee's back when it comes to the rest of the money.

Who knew Gai-sensei had money.

*He probably saves a lot on clothing.* Inner Sakura elucidated.

Sakura smiled as she watched Gai grin proudly at his mini-me's: 'youthful spirit and determination'.

"Young love." He said with an over the top dramatic sigh.

"1100." A third anonymous guy declared.

Sakura was awed. Those people were really bidding for her. *This is so weird.* She pondered as inner Sakura nodded.

*We seem to be guy magnets.* She concluded. *Quick, turn around and let'em see your ass.*

Sakura rolled her eyes and opted to ignore her inner.

"1200."

"1300." Shisui intoned in a light tenor.

Gai nodded at a now beaming Lee. "1400 flowers for my love." Lee declared.

*Those people are crazy.*

"1500."

"1600."

"1700." Lee cut in.

"1800." Shisui rebutted.

"1900." Lee screamed after receiving his sensei's affirmative nod.

"5000." The man in the tux said in a bored tone and now everyone was staring at him, including Sakura. He was kinda old, well at least old enough so that going out with Sakura would merit him the title: 'cradle robber'. However, despite his age, his hair was dyed an obviously fake shade of black that made him look that much creepier. Adding to the creepiness was the look he was giving the girl. He was slowly sweeping his eyes over Sakura's figure once and again in a way that made her blood run cold. He really was the kind of person she'd go out of her way to avoid if she saw him walking on the street.

Lee threw a look his sensei's way and much to his dismay the sexy spandex monster bowed his head in defeat. He was all out of money. Lee pouted mimicking his sensei's move and bowing his head in turn.

Sakura sighed. *Oh, man, I can't believe I'm thinking this, but even a date with Lee would have been better.* She pondered miserably.

And for his part, Shisui gave Sakura an apologetic look.

The girl heaved a sigh, as she saw her other two suitors look at the tux-clad man in defeat.

"5000 for the man in the tuxedo." Ino's voice boomed.

Sakura blanched.

"Going once…."

*Damn it.*

"Going twice…."

*Run.*

"S…."

"Twenty Thousand." Came a level voice, and the entire room collectively turned to look towards the door, holding their breaths.

Sakura gaped, as Itachi strolled in casually, dressed in a fitted black suit that made her heart race.

*Oh my…..* Inner Sakura cooed, while Sakura was drawing a blank thinking-wise.

Ino blinked a few time, before catching herself with her mouth hanging open like a blow fish and schooling her features back into a less stunned expression.

"T…. Twenty thousand for Uchiha-Taicho…" She said and it sounded more like a question.

All eyes followed the Uchiha as he strolled casually to the front so that he was standing right in front of the stage; his eyes however, were firmly fixed on the stunned Sakura.

"Twenty thousand going once…." Ino said in a weak and disbelieving voice.

"Twenty thousand going twice…"

"Thirty thousand." A similar yet, blatantly different voice calmly cut through the silence and everyone was shocked once again as yet another Uchiha strolled in after flaunting a ridiculously high amount of money.

"M… Madara-Sama." Ino stuttered over the words.

The elder Uchiha smiled kindly at the announcer and gave Sakura a rather reassuring smile.

Sakura gaped at the man.

*What the hell is going on here?*

For his part, Itachi calmly regarded his uncle, his expression unreadable and before Ino could utter another word Itachi spoke, "Forty thousand." He said impassively.

"Fifty thousand." Madara raised.

"Sixty." Itachi spoke without missing a single beat.

"Seventy." Was Madara's response.

And by now complete silence has descended on the room, with everyone looking from one Uchiha to another in downright disbelief. I mean, the highest amount reached all night was a measly 1700, and it was for Jiraiya's really hot assistant. And now those people were throwing around five digit numbers like they were nothing. Well, the only person who didn't appear to be shocked was Shisui, who merely sat to the side watching the exchange with an amused expression on his face.

"Eighty." Itachi once again countered, his eyes once again resting on Sakura as he sparred with his uncle.

Madara flashed a small knowing smile at his nephew.

"Ninety." He said calmly.

"Two hundred thousand." Itachi said in finality.

And at that the silence was broken as the entire room gasped in disbelief and everyone turned to the person next to him to check if they heard right.

Madara smiled once again. Before elegantly waving a hand in front of him as if to indicate to Itachi that it was his win. Itachi who has turned to momentarily regard his uncle returned his completely unperturbed gaze to Sakura who looked like she was about ready to faint.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ino finally snapped out of her trance and none too elegantly too. The blonde bombshell had to literally pinch herself repeatedly to make sure that she heard right.

"Two hundred thousand going once." She said in a very small voice and Sakura absently remarked that she wasn't the only one about ready to faint.

Everyone fell silent once again as they listened to the girl.

"Going twice." Ino added in a ghostly tenor. "Sold." She finished blinking at the unfettered Uchiha. "Con… Congratulations Uchiha-Taicho." She said eyeing him in absolute disbelief.

Itachi nodded once.

And without any further ado, now that his business was done, he merely turned around and started walking towards the door.

Shortly after, the room occupants watched as Shisui casually strolled out after him, now that the show is over.

And finally Madara gracefully wandered out.

In their wake an entire room remained absolutely suspended in silence and immersed in bewilderment as no one knew or had the presence of mind to wonder why, or what the hell just happened.

* * *

**This took me forever to post, and I'm very sorry about that. **

**I had to travel on very short notice, so I had no time to post this chapter before I left, even though it has been done for over two weeks now. **

**Anywho… **

**I'm back now, and I'll hopefully be back to regular updates.**

**I'll try to put something up within the week just to make it up for you guys :D**

**Please Review ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

You could hear a pin drop, you could hear the paint on the walls slowly peel itself off due to natural causes, you could hear people's breathing and if you really focus; you could hear their heart beats. That is how pronounced the silence was. You could have heard things you never stopped to listen to before, things you never knew even made a sound; now emitted a deafening screech. And if you were inner Sakura, you'd be pretty happy about it, since you just learned how to speak 'cricket' and after the Uchiha men walked out; the awkward chirping sound was almost tangible.

*Even the crickets are confused.* Inner Sakura translated, putting on her specs and tapping the back of a pen to her book.

Sakura slowly came back to the world of the conscious, valiantly tearing her eyes away from the place where Itachi disappeared almost five minutes ago.

She drew in a greedy gulp of air.

*What the hell just happened?* She finally managed a coherent thought, as her eyes scanned over the mesmerized room occupants.

*The crickets have no explanation for this.* Inner Sakura offered.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

At least she could count on her inner self to always annoy her out of her shock.

Throwing a sideway glance at the bonafide auction announcer, Sakura found Ino stupefied in place with her mouth hanging open and occasionally constricting to form an incoherent word.

She sighed, walking towards her friend.

"Ino-pig, let's go." She said tiredly. The last thing she needed was to stand on that stage for another hour while the announcer and the audience reclaim their senses.

Ino said nothing, shifting her eyes to look at Sakura but not seeing her at all.

"Ino!" the medic repeated, this time stepping closer to the girl.

Ino scanned Sakura wearily for a second, before mouthing something.

And now that Sakura was close enough to her, she could clearly make out the words: "Two Hundred thousand." Followed by a pause and then the word, "Why?" uttered in a ghostly tenor.

"I don't know." Sakura answered the 'why' question. "Now let's go home." She declared. "This day has dragged on long enough." She added taking Ino's arm and dragging her off the stage.

Ino walked with Sakura with no protests, completely and utterly transfixed and incapable of forming any thoughts or words other than repeatedly saying, "200,000" and "why."

Sakura walked amongst the tables, not bothering to take the stage backdoor exit, since no one had the presence of mind to even look at her as she walked out.

And could you really blame them? after all, watching Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Itachi bid for a girl who is, for all intents and purposes, Uchiha Sasuke's girlfriend; isn't something you see every day. Especially when Uchiha Itachi ends up bidding a small fortune just for a single date with someone.

Eventually, Sakura reached the door and stepped outside, dragging Ino with her and basking in the cool night air that went a long way towards soothing her battered mind.

"But, why?" Ino whispered once again.

Sakura ignored her, her emerald gaze focusing on the shape of Uchiha Madara who seemed to be in deep conversation with some of the auction's officials.

Now that she looks at him, the man holds a lot of resemblance to Itachi. Well, all the Uchiha did have their similarities, looks wise. But for some reason, he really did look a lot like Itachi. Except older, with unbound hair that cascades freely down his shoulders, with a few strands on top allowed to stand on end, giving him a spikey haired look; not dissimilar to that of Naruto's.

The man wore his standard Konoha issued head band on his head, which was utterly surprising, given the creative places where the Shinobi seem to always choose to wear it.

His eyes were an Uchiha patented onyx, with a tendency to flash crimson. And he was wearing a marvelously black loosely fitting kimono, with what appeared to be red body armor covering his arms and torso.

Now that she was really looking, Sakura couldn't deny that he was quite a good looking man. *Lucky bastards with a superior gene pool and lots of money to give to charity instead of buying us gifts.* Inner Sakura rambled.

"Thank you so much, Madara-sama." One of the committee heads cooed, utterly overwhelmed by something that the man did.

Madara nodded solemnly in response, seemingly unmoved by her excitement.

"I'll go get you a receipt right away." The man standing next to her offered, equally excited. "I can't believe you're still paying all that money." He twitted cheerfully, before turning around and racing into the building, followed by his scampering female comrade who was too eager as she waved what appeared to be a check around.

Sakura's eyes followed the two inside the building where she just left the stupefied audience.

"Haruno-san." Madara's voice echoed, snapping her eyes back to him.

Sakura felt utterly intimidated by the man as she met his onyx gaze. In fact, ever since the first time she saw him, she felt overwhelmed by his demanding presence. He just seemed like one of those people you admire from a distance and circulate fables about without ever really getting to know him. Not unlike Itachi, if we were to be honest. Yet, something about him struck her as completely different from Itachi. *Just like their voices; similar yet completely different.*

Sakura navigated her thoughts away from her philosophical reverie and smiled at the man. "Madara-sama." She greeted, bowing politely and beside her the transfixed Ino remained immobile. "Did you just donate money to the charity?" She questioned curiously.

Madara gave her a kind smile, as he took a step towards her.

"Even though I did not win the auction, I saw it fit to donate the amount I bid." He said in a calm tone.

Sakura smiled, getting a little flustered at the memory of him bidding for her, and itching with curiosity as to why he did it.

"You must be wondering why I bid for you, Haruno-san." He said as if reading her mind.

Sakura blushed, yet she steeled herself and nodded nonetheless. She really did want to know.

Madara smiled at her pluck and pushed on.

"I was invited to the auction since the higher-ups at the committee were in need of all the financial assistance they can get. However, my intentions were not to join the bidding, Haruno-san." He elaborated in a gentle tenor. "In fact, I decided to come, write a check and then leave." He added enigmatically. "However, when I arrived I saw you on stage and I saw my nephew bidding for you. Which struck me as rather peculiar since I was under the impression that you were dating my brother's other son."

"I am…." Sakura said hurriedly.

Madara nodded. "I know." He said perceptively. "And I am familiar with Itachi-san's intentions of driving his brother's lovers away." He said honestly and Sakura blushed a deep shade of crimson at the mention of the word 'lovers' and valiantly fought down the urge to correct the man.

"This is why I decided to bid for you, Haruno-san." He declared. "I wanted to see how far my nephew would go." He added. "Please forgive me for using you like that." He finished, eyes softening at his last words.

Sakura blinked.

"Oh, please don't apologize. This is hardly your fault." She declared with a big smile.

Madara smiled back at the girl.

"This is good to hear, Haruno-san." He said pausing for a second to regard the girl. "I take it you and Sasuke-san are still on good terms?" He questioned.

Sakura nodded, not really sure why he was asking.

And once again, as if reading her mind, he explained.

"I am merely confused by his absence from today's event. I assumed he would be here to assist you through such a dire situation." He said with a kind smile.

Sakura heaved a sigh, before plastering a smile on her face. She will kill Sasuke for this later, but no need for airing her dirty laundry in public.

"Oh, no, I am sure he has some serious business to attend to tonight. And I figured that since this whole thing is way too ridiculous; there is no need to drag him into it." She said with an unflappable tone, that she perfected over the years just for the purposes of deceiving people during undercover missions. Who knew it would come in handy in such a situation. "But we are definitely on good terms."

"Good thinking, Haruno-san." The Uchiha said in a friendly tone. "I always thought that my nephew needed someone like you in his life." He declared.

She blushed.

"Thank you, Madara-sama." She said bowing once again.

At that, the woman re-appeared from inside the stage room followed by the man, who proceeded to happily hand Madara a receipt for the money he just donated.

"I hope to see you soon, Haruno-san." Madara said turning to Sakura. "Have a good night." He offered.

Sakura smiled. "You too, Madara-sama." She said with a bow, before watching his poised figure depart.

*Wow.* Inner Sakura said.

*You can say that again.* Sakura concurred. *You better not though; this man appears to read minds, and I don't want him to accidentally make your acquaintance.* She declared, seeing an opportunity to pay her inner self back for all her snide remarks.

*I'm sure that after meeting you, things could never get any worse for him.* Her inner bit back without missing a beat.

Arriving at the conclusion that a verbal showdown with her inner self will result in nothing but an inevitable mental breakdown, Sakura dragged Ino's and proceeded to walk towards her apartment.

"Listen Pig, I'll let you sleep in my house tonight, cuz I honestly don't trust you to take care of yourself in such state." She offered as they walked.

"Two hundred thousand." Was all the response she got.

.

Stepping into her apartment and dragging Ino in alongside of her, Sakura once again paused to curse her luck to high heavens. She almost got taken out by a stray Kunai knife on her way over. And for a stray Kunai; this one was strikingly well aimed. If it weren't for all the years she spent training with Kakashi in speed and accuracy, she might have been a goner. And the damn masculine looking blonde idiot who threw the knife actually had the audacity to smile at Sakura as she apologized for accidentally almost killing her. The nerve of some people. She almost got killed, and for what? For dating Sasuke.

"Damn fan-girls." She muttered under her breath, casting a sideway glance at Ino, who was still in shock.

If only those fan-girls knew the truth. Or better yet, if they knew how much of a jackass Sasuke was for standing her up like that, they might have a change of heart.

A little part of her was worried though. After all, Sasuke wasn't in the habit of bailing on her, especially if he has given his promise. And he was feeling guilty about putting her through all of this, so it was even more implausible for him to just abandon her like that. And there was the whole thing about Naruto disappearing after going to look for Sasuke.

Sakura closed her door with a contemplative look on her face.

"Maybe I should go look for them." She said, voicing her thoughts.

Ino remained as oblivious as ever, as Sakura dragged her towards her bedroom

"Come on, I'll change out of this dress, and find you something too and then we can go find those two." She declared, as she stalked forwards. Itachi is a very dangerous man and while she knew he'd never really hurt his brother, she was sure that he wouldn't mind roughing him up a bit. Not to mention that beating the crap out of Naruto wasn't something that Itachi would ever shy away from.

On that unnerving thought, Sakura flung her door open and froze on the spot.

By her side, Ino seemed to react completely differently. The blonde actually snapped out of her trance, now wide awake.

"What the…" Sakura muttered, as her eyes scanned over the sight of Naruto and Sasuke lying side by side on her bed. Her honed medical senses quickly kicking into action and offering her some solace, since the two appeared to be thoroughly unharmed.

Leaning back on her left leg as if preparing for an attack and then quickly launching herself forwards; Ino pounced on the sleeping duo, landing very gracefully on top of Sasuke.

"Quick, Forehead, take a picture of me." She implored. "This is a fangirl's dream." She added with a manic look on her face.

Sakura sighed and Sasuke stirred, opening his eyes to look directly at the blonde sitting on top of him.

"Get off." He said without missing a beat. And if he was surprised by her presence, he sure hid it well.

Ino, however, fumbled around in shock, and tried to get off Sasuke only to trip on her own legs and land on Naruto on her way to falling off the bed.

Naruto opened a pair of blue eyes, sat up and stared confusedly around, his eyes finally landing on Sasuke next to him on the bed.

A second later, his eyes widened and he pulled the blanket up as if covering himself.

"You bastard," He screamed. "I have a girlfriend." He added in outrage.

Sakura giggled at the sheer ridiculousness of Naruto's heartfelt exclamation, as well as poor Sasuke about ready to face-palm.

"What did you do to me?" Naruto screamed.

"Nothing." Sasuke answered in a level voice. "Yet." He added as a threat.

"I always knew you had your eye on me." Naruto said with a raised eyebrow, completely misconstruing Sasuke's threat.

"Shut up, dobe."

"You two do make a good couple." Sakura teased.

"You should be honored to have shared the same bed with Sasuke-kun, you idiot." Ino said haughtily, getting to her feet.

And Naruto opened his mouth to rebuttal.

"Alright, enough." Sakura interrupted. This sure was funny to watch, but she also needed answers. "Why are you two here?" She questioned.

"Where exactly is here?" Naruto questioned confusedly.

"Sakura's bedroom." Sasuke answered, finally sitting up in bed.

"First time a guy ever stepped foot in here." Ino quipped.

"Why are we here?" Naruto questioned.

"You tell me." Sakura offered.

"Last thing I remember I was standing over teme, while he was passed out in the clearing next to the Uchiha compound." Naruto said, rubbing at his temples and racking his brain.

Sakura shifted her attention to Sasuke who shook his head.

"I do not know what happened." He said truthfully. "I walked out of the compound and was heading to the training ground to meet the dobe, when everything went dark. The next thing I know is waking up here."

Sakura sighed.

"Who could do such a thing to Sasuke-kun?" Ino declared, exclaiming dramatically and balling her fists in outrage.

"I can think of one person and one person only." Sakura said enigmatically and Sasuke nodded.

"I take it, he won the date." Sasuke deduced.

Sakura nodded.

"Who won what? What are you guys talking about? And how did I get here?" Naruto screamed.

.

After explaining to Naruto as much as they possibly could, the 4 friends sat on Sakura's porch sipping some green tea and trying their best to make sense out of what happened.

"So Evil-Taicho won and now you'll have to go on a date with him."

"Yes." Sakura concurred.

"And he's the one who took us both out."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"He probably will use the time of the date to try to influence Sakura." Sasuke explained and Sakura sighed.

"Lucky me." She said with a fake smile.

"You know, most girls would kill for a date with him Forehead." Ino interjected and both Sakura and Sasuke shot her venomous glares. She laughed nervously.

"Wait a minute," Naruto interrupted. "Why did your uncle bid then?" He asked Sasuke.

"I don't really know." Sasuke said truthfully. "He might have been trying to help me in his own way." He added.

"Are you two close?" Sakura questioned.

"Yup they are. Actually, he offered to train Sasuke-kun when he was younger, but Itachi-Taicho refused him." Ino said informatively and Sasuke turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

"What kind of a stalker would I be if I didn't know such things about Sasuke-kun." She said fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Sasuke turned around and gave Sakura a tired look, she grinned.

"Good stalker," She said complementing Ino.

"Thank you very much." Ino said with a huge smile.

And Sasuke repressed a sigh.

"Just don't allow him to ask you out." He offered.

"How can I do that?"

"Avoid him."

"Well, that's easier said than done; I have a class tomorrow." Sakura admitted.

"Avoid him." Sasuke reiterated.

Now, Sakura was the one sighing.

"Fine."

.

Dashing quickly into the bathroom next to her classroom, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as she looked upon herself in the mirror.

She looked her normal self now; no pink dresses, makeup, or fashionable hairdos. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she donned her normal battle gear. And right now, she was oh-so-pleased with herself.

Sasuke told her to avoid Itachi, so that he doesn't get a chance to ask her out. First she thought it would be too difficult to accomplish, since she had a class and had to face him.

However, soon, she worked out a plan.

To start with, she arrived just in time for class. Not before everyone else like she normally did. And once the class was over, she literally flung herself out of class, with the outflow of students and ran for the bathroom.

She figured that he could easily catch up with her if she tried to get to her house. But in here, in the ladies bathroom; he had absolutely no chance of getting to her. That's if he even knows that she's here. Since he was already seated when she was well on her way out of class.

*He's probably half way to the Uchiha compound by now.* She thought in sheer glee. *Now all I have to do, is wait here until I'm sure he's gone, and then I can go home.* She added blissfully.

You never know with that guy, maybe he's still out there waiting for her, and she wasn't about to risk being asked out on that date, he paid so much money for.

*So let me get this straight,* Inner Sakura said, eyeing Sakura speculatively. *You're hiding in the bathroom, to avoid being asked out by a handsome and insanely powerful Shinobi, who just proved how ridiculously rich he is by forking over a buck load of money just for a measly date with you.* The alter ego surmised.

Sakura huffed, *Get your facts straight will ya,* She berated. *He knows that I'm with his brother, and he wants to take me out to do God knows what to me, so that I'd leave his Ototo alone.*

*well, he's still hot, powerful and rich. I say go for it.* Inner advised.

Sakura rolled her eyes, thanking her lucky stars that all the other bathroom occupants were in the stalls, leaving her alone in front of the mirrors to contemplate her life and argue with herself.

Her blissful time alone was cut short though, when the door to the bathroom was flung open.

Sakura fixed her eyes on her reflection; which was what she always did in the bathroom to avoid awkward conversations with random strangers looking to borrow her pins because they're having a really bad hair day.

The medic was so adamant on avoiding eye contact, yet something drew her attention. A familiar shape, perhaps, a familiar aura, or even a familiar assortment of colors; namely the colors black and crimson; it could be anything really, but the girl found herself inadvertently looking up and gaping at the new comer.

"You…. You…" She sputtered.

"I try to avoid unnecessary conversations in the bathroom, Sakura." Came his impassive tenor as he gracefully located a dry spot on the sink and neatly placed his jacket on it.

"This is a women's restroom." She pointed out in an accusatory tone.

Itachi seemed unperturbed by her tenor, his calm onyxes unconcernedly resting on his reflection.

"This is a matter of opinion, Sakura." He said evenly, as he leaned slightly forwards to wash his hands.

Sakura blinked.

She was shocked, irritated, yet slightly amused.

"No it's not." She quipped. "It's a fact."

"I do believe that everything is relative, nothing is what you think it is." He retorted in an unperturbed tenor.

"What is that even supposed to mean?" She shot back, her position of power in the middle of a girl's bathroom giving her an extra boost of courage. "I am sure that women's bathrooms are for women, nothing relative about that."

"This is your opinion." He said evenly, as he lathered up his hands.

Sakura twitched with pent up irritation, her eyes watching the Uchiha as he straightened up once again and met her eyes.

"You really shouldn't be here." She accused.

"Should you?" He questioned.

"Of course I should." She declared, voice rising a bit. "I have every right to be here." She declared and her voice seemed to alert the stall occupants. Thus, just like that 4 stall doors were flung open slowly to show 4 men lurking behind them and giving Sakura weird looks.

"Haruno-senpai." One of the guys said from behind the door.

Sakura blushed a deep crimson.

"W… what are you doing here?" Another guy questioned, as his eyes darted between Sakura and the now bemused Uchiha.

"I will pick you up, tomorrow at 7, Sakura." Itachi said, in an unruffled tone and just like that he draped his jacket over one shoulder and gracefully walked out.

In his wake, a stunned Sakura was left staring at 4 men, in what she now knew is a men's restroom.

*How …. How did I even get here?*

*Idiot.*

Sakura twitched. *Oh, he'll so pay for this.* She mentally declared.

*Yah, right.* Inner Sakura said derisively.

*Don't undermine me. I have just the right plan for this date.* She thought, and inadvertently gave an expectant smile, which sent the 4 men running back into their stalls. *Oh, I'll show him.*

* * *

**Next chapter; a date that shall never be forgotten ;)**

**Please Review.**


	13. Chapter 13

"You know, normal countries have festivals celebrating the start of spring and maybe even summer, why do we have a winter festival?" Ino questioned picking up a brush from Sakura's drawer.

"Well, normal countries don't have a perpetually hot weather. I mean, for us, winter is a miracle not just a season." She reasoned, eyes fixed on her reflection in the mirror as she applied a touch of lip gloss.

"I guess.." Ino allowed, running the brush through her blonde locks.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be helping **me **look presentable for the date?" Sakura said accusingly.

"Well, I'm quite incredible, but I can't do the impossible honey." Ino said derisively.

"You know I can kill you, using nothing but that brush you're holding, right?" Sakura said with a sweet smile.

Ino looked at her with slight trepidation.

"You're too violent; no wonder you're considered one of the guys. Femininity is an art after all." She said haughtily.

Sakura narrowed her eyes.

Ino quickly hid the brush.

"Alright, alright, I'm not helping you because you've done quite a good job on your own." She said in defeat. "Damn it, Forehead, why do you have to force me to admit to stuff like that. Damn this sucks. But any way, I'm pretty sure you'll once again give the hordes of people who are questioning your gender, something to think about." She said, and this mind you, was as close to getting a complement from Ino as Sakura had ever gotten.

"That was kinda not mean." Sakura said with a smile. "Thank you, Pig."

"You're welcome, Forehead." Ino replied with a smile. "Are you sure you wanna do this, though?"

"I don't really have much of a choice, now do I?" Sakura said raising her eyes to meet Ino's. "I have to pay him back for all he did to me so far and ruining this date and whatever plans he has for it is my only option."

"But, it's way too dangerous. Even Sasuke-kun has issues with it. And he's so wise and smart and handsome and he looks great in a swimming suit…. Damn why does it have to be winter already." Ino snapped completely losing track of where she was going with that thought.

Sakura sighed.

"Man, do you have a one track mind." She remarked. "I know it's dangerous, but it annoys Sasuke and I'm pretty sure it'll annoy him too and if it fails I still have my plan B." She said with a confident smile.

She was Haruno Sakura damn it and she wasn't about to let anyone get his way with her. Even if that someone was Uchiha Itachi.

"Well, your plan B is also risky and could fail miserably." Ino offered helpfully.

"Aren't you just a ray of sunshine." Sakura said sarcastically. "What do you suggest then if all my plans are a bust?"

"Well, you could just make him fall in love with you, go out with him and have him stop forcing women away from Sasuke-kun and instead force him to marry me." Ino suggested with a big hopeful smile. "That way we'd have the two most handsome men in Konoha as our husbands." She finished with a giant goofy smile.

Sakura eyed her like she was a mad person. "Amazing plan!" She declared in a loud voice.

Ino smiled cheerfully.

"Do you mean that?" She asked her pink haired friend.

"Of course I do, I too am looking forwards to watching pigs fly." She said with a giggle.

Ino eyed her venomously.

"Oh come on, do you really think that I can make the guy who presides over the demons of the underworld fall in love with me?"

"You're right," Ino said, her face lighting up. "For you to manage to do that you'd actually have to possess female like qualities." She concluded. "Oh, well, never mind." She added with a resigned smile. "Just stick to your plans, and don't get killed." She advised. "At least not without witnesses around, cuz I need them to apprehend Itachi-Taicho for me to be able to get Sasuke-kun alone and vulnerable." She finished in all seriousness.

Sakura sighed, getting to her feet and giving her reflection a once over in an attempt to glean as much confidence off of her reflection as she possibly could.

She donned a beige skin-tight dress, that extended until a little above her knee. The dress was sleeveless yet it had half a turtle neck, giving her a rather elegant look. And adding to her elegance was the fact that the light beige was interwoven with golden threads in the shapes of little flowers and the occasional leaf. She topped it off by pulling her hair up into a messy bun, and adding a pair of small earrings for extra impact. And the final touch came in the form of very light makeup: light pink gloss, some blush and high impact eyeliner, actually Kohl is more like it since it really made her emerald eyes shine.

A second later, a single knock on the door brought her back to the here and now.

*One knock.*

Only one and it was a brief one at that, as if he knew that this would be all it takes to bring her running to the door. *smug bastard.* Sakura mentally roared. *He's snubbing me.* She concluded.

*Wow, your delusional capabilities are growing at a stunning rate.* Inner Sakura commented. *Stop overreacting will ya, if we are gonna pull off this insane plan of yours we need to be calm.*

*You're right.* Sakura agreed before her eyes went wide. *Oh my God, I just said that you of all people are right. What has become of the world?*

"Forehead." Ino called.

Sakura blinked. "He's come for your soul." The blonde added cheerfully.

"You're a true friend, Pig." The pinkette said sarcastically. "Just do your part and have them there on time, understand?" She said casually, before starting to walk towards the door.

Ino nodded.

"Be careful, Sakura." She added earnestly as Sakura reached the door.

Sakura smiled genuinely and nodded at her friend. "Will do."

And with that, Sakura was out of her bedroom and stalking towards her apartment door. Drawing in a final deep breath, Sakura flung the door open plastering on a smile wide enough that it could light up the entirety of konoha and the neighboring countries.

She took a second to register his appearance and another to force herself into ignoring how good he looks in his all-black suit.

"Good afternoon, Sakura." Came Itachi's polite greeting.

"Good afternoon, Itachi-san." She said cheerfully. Too cheerfully, that she stunned even herself.

Itachi took a moment to regard her speculatively, before he spoke next. "You look beautiful, Sakura." He said in his sinfully delectable tenor.

Sakura forced her shy smile into a happily delighted one and quickly emitted a squeal that even she didn't know that she was capable of. "Oh. My. God." She said each word alone as she jumped up and down. "I can't believe that Itachi-san just gave me such a compliment. Ahhhhhhhh….." She squealed again. "I'm such a lucky girl." She added in a small fangirl-ly voice. "I think I'm gonna faint."

Itachi regarded her amusedly.

"You seem different, Sakura." He commented dryly.

"I'm just too excited. I can't believe I have a date with Itachi-san." She paused, with a manic grin on her face. A grin that would make her best friend -the number one stalker in the world- very proud. "The Itachi-san." She said in a spooky yet admiring voice. She even inched closer to him for added impact.

Itachi scowled at her for a second.

"Let's go, Sakura." He said frostily.

"Alrightly then." She said happily, as she followed him out of her apartment and closed the door behind.

*Operation: 'Fan-girl The Hell Out of Itachi Until He Sticks a Fork in His Own Eye and Sacrifice His Precious Sharingan' is underway.* Sakura thought excitedly.

*Copy that.* Inner Sakura retorted. *Keep us informed, boobless.* She added authoritatively.

Sakura twitched at the code name, yet opted to ignore her inner. She had better things to do than fight with her at the moment.

"Say, Itachi-san." She started in a sweet tone.

Itachi showed no indication that he was listening.

"Where are we going?" She questioned happily.

"We have reservations." He answered humorlessly, as he stepped out of her apartment building.

"Oh," She said, forcing her eyes to twinkle as she bound up to walk next to him on the street. "That sounds am-aaaaaaaaaa-zing." She commented excitedly.

"Hn." He said without turning to her.

*Oh, he hates the fan-girl version of me.* She thought happily.

"Ummm, Itachi-san." She started once again, rather coyly. This time she didn't even pause for him to not give her a response. "Do you mind if we stop by the winter festival for a few minutes." She asked feigning shyness.

Itachi turned his head slightly to look at her.

"I…. I…" She fake-mumbled as if she was weary about burdening him. "I just love the winter festival. Haven't missed it ever since I was young. I just wanna swing by for a little while." She said with a sweet pleading smile. Man, she really was getting into character, that smile did feel so genuine.

And from the looks of it, it looked genuine too, since Itachi's response was a monosyllabic: "Hn."

Translation: 'Sure, let's go. But you better make it quick or I'll do something you really won't like.'

"Yaaaaaaay." She commented and couldn't believe she of all people just emitted such a noise.

And just like that the two were well on their way towards the southern side of Konoha were the festival grounds lay.

.

A few moments later, the unlikely couple stepped into the festival grounds. All the way over there Sakura was making unnecessary conversation, all about how happy she was to be there and how lucky she was to be with him. She drew on all the times she watched Ino and other fangirls interact with Sasuke. And she must say, the reserved look on Itachi's face as he tried to ignore her was priceless, it made this inane act well worth it.

And with every passing moment she was getting more confident as she realized that just like his brother, Itachi was programmed to avoid and ardently ignore fangirls. It was a force of habit really, and completely natural for people who lived their lives being chased by adoring fans who knew absolutely nothing about them, yet fawned incessantly over them.

Sakura smiled, for a second lost in the beauty of the festival grounds. So many stands as far as she could see, each offering a different yet equally cheerful offer for the festival goers; and enshrouding the entire jovial scene were giant Sakura trees which stood so high on either side of the streets that they obscured the skies, enrobing the entire scene in pink glow.

"Wow." She said, with a genuine smile, as she drew in a greedy gulp of fresh and invigorating air.

"You really like this, Sakura?" Itachi questioned, eyeing her speculatively.

Sakura blinked.

*Oh-Oh, a real moment.*

"Of course I do," She declared. "I am here with Itachi-san aren't I?" She finished, now going back to her act.

"I am glad to be here with you too, Sakura." He said in a husky tone, hot enough to melt the icecaps.

Sakura gawked at him.

*Oh, God no. He's going to play the same game.* She concluded.

*Oh, thank God, he's going to play the same game.* Was inner Sakura's opinion.

However, Sakura was adamant on not being thwarted off. She had a plan and she was going to go through with it damn it.

"Ahh, Itachi-san, you can't believe how happy this makes me." She cooed.

Itachi smiled/smirked in response.

"Umm, could we get some ice-cream?" She questioned hopefully.

"Anything for you, Sakura." The Uchiha said coolly, before starting to walk towards the ice-cream stand.

*Isn't he great.* Inner Sakura sang.

*Shut up, I'm winning this!* Sakura roared and without preamble she hooked her arm in his as he stood in line in front of the stand.

Itachi looked down at the girl with an amused gleam in his eyes.

Sakura smiled coquettishly back at the Uchiha prince.

Itachi returned his eyes to the ice-cream vendor who was now ready to serve them, in the process allowing Sakura to maintain her hold on his arm.

"I have any flavor you can think of." The vendor said with a brilliant smile.

Sakura smiled at the man, she does love ice-cream.

"Umm, I'd have whatever Itachi-san's having." She said slyly.

Itachi smirked and the vendor gawked at him, now realizing who this man really was.

Sakura didn't miss the small step the man took backwards.

"Lemon, please." Itachi said impassively.

And Sakura smiled despite herself.

"I love lemon ice-cream." She said genuinely.

Itachi smiled at her. A real smile this time and she had to fight down a blush and remind herself of the plan.

A few seconds later, Sakura was walking across the festival grounds, eating ice-cream, arm in arm with the Uchiha heir. A part of her was quite aware of her bizarre situation, another was very proud of herself for having the guts to do that, and a third part, namely inner Sakura, was categorically melting into a puddle of goo with every step they took.

However, Sakura didn't have time to dwell on that, as a second later, a familiar voice caused both Itachi and Sakura to stop and inadvertently direct their attention to the owner of said voice.

Sakura blinked, as her eyes zeroed in on Shisui dressed in grey dress pants and a white shirt, leaning against a nearby cotton candy stand, with almost 12 girls standing around him and paying him their undivided attention.

What was even more uncanny though, was the fact that he had a tissue in his hand and looked thoroughly torn.

Unconsciously, the pair scooted closer to the stand, in order to better hear what was going on.

"Poor, Shi-kun." One of the girls said with a sad face.

"That's too horrible." Another said rubbing his arm in a soothing manner.

While a bunch of girls fought amongst each other to get close to him.

"It was devastating….." His voice finally echoed. "After three years together she just up and left me." He said in a deliberately husky tenor. "And for none other than my best friend." He added, voice trailing off at the end.

The girls gave a collective, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.." In sympathy, and huddled closer to the Uchiha.

Sakura involuntarily turned towards Itachi with a questioning look.

Itachi smirked, "He is using sympathy to get them into bed." He said, brusque and to the point.

This time Sakura blushed.

"This is horrible." She said folding her arms, and glaring daggers at Itachi's cousin.

*Your true colors are showing, you're supposed to be a fangirl not a feminist.* Inner Sakura warned. *Honestly, are you incapable of doing anything right?* She berated.

"This is unforgivable." Sakura declared, as a vocal response to what her inner just said.

Itachi eyed her appraisingly.

However, before he could say anything, Shisui seemed to notice the two of them.

"Oh no!" He exclaimed dramatically, shocking Sakura out of her indignant state. "This is her!" He added pointing at Sakura with a devastated expression on his face. "And that's him.. My ex-best friend." He declared with a somber, almost shattered voice.

Itachi raised an eyebrow and Sakura gawked at him with a mixture of amusement and rage flashing across her face.

In a second the girls turned around to stare venomously at the two.

And before Sakura could do anything, or even think of anything, Itachi shocked everyone by draping an arm across Sakura's shoulders, glaring impassively at Shisui and saying; "She's mine now." In a velvety smooth voice, that caused the previously incensed girls to blush fervently.

Shisui smirked, and Sakura gaped at Itachi in shock.

"Shall we, Sakura?" He asked, and remembering her plan, she smiled sweetly back at him and let him guide her away from the stand.

"Poor, poor Shi-kun." Were the words uttered in perfect unison, as the two departed.

"Last time he said I was his wife." Sakura reminisced, shaking her head at Shisui's shenanigans.

Itachi gave her a look that could pass for compassionate.

"Last time, he said I was his ex-boyfriend and that he had to break up with me and change his sexual orientation because he was infatuated by the girl he was trying to impress." Itachi shared in a calm tenor.

"You're kidding." Sakura said, taking a step away and staring at Itachi incredulously.

He shrugged.

"What did you do?" She questioned.

"I told him I will always be here if he changed his mind." He said with a smirk.

"You sure are a team player." She commented laughingly. "Or was he telling the truth?" She teased, unable to help herself, she felt at ease around him for some reason.

Itachi grinned at her, taking a step closer to her as they walked and putting his arm around her waist. Sakura stiffened, as he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I'd be glad to prove to you how much of a lie it was, Sakura." He whispered in a voice akin to molten chocolate.

Sakura blushed ten different shades of pink and 3 shades of bright red.

"That'd be unnecessary." She said hastily. "Oh, I mean, Itachi-san's so naughty." She added. In normal circumstances she'd slap whoever made her such an indecent offer. But given her plan and who he was, she figured she'd play it down.

Itachi smirked, straightening up.

And Sakura heaved a sigh, her eyes quickly lighting up as the reason why she suggested they come to the festival came bounding up to them. Well, actually, given who it was; the reason didn't really 'bound' she shyly and rather awkwardly strutted slowly and uncertainly towards them.

"G…. G…. Good… Good afternoon, Sakura-chan, Uchiha-Taicho." Hinata said with a pronounced blush.

Sakura smiled brightly at her friend, mentally thanking her for accepting to help her out and showing up on time.

"Hey Hinata." Sakura said as she hugged her.

"Hyuuga-san." Itachi said formally.

Hinata eyed Itachi, looking about ready to make a run for it, or faint, you never really know with her.

"Sakura-chan, I hope I'm not late." She said politely.

"No, No, you're right on time, Hinata." Sakura assured.

"You invited Hyuuga-san." Itachi said, more of a statement than a question.

"Oh, no, Itachi-san, it's not how it seems." Sakura said, once again back to fake admiration. "I just thought that our very first date would be more special if we were to share it with another couple. A double date, if you will." She finished beaming up at him.

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"So, where is he?" Sakura asked Hinata.

"I don't know, in his letter he said he'd meet me here." She said wearily. "But, Sakura-chan, I don't know how this will work, I mean, up until now we weren't able to finish a date together, or even start one…." She said in a small voice.

Sakura smiled reassuringly at her friend. "I assure you, Hinata-chan, this time seeing him won't make you faint and you two are gonna have an amazing date. And don't you forget that you also have another couple around, that should lessen the stress right?"

Hinata nodded, and Itachi watched the exchange with a calm and slightly entertained expression on his face.

A second later, Sakura grinned and waved, drawing the attention of the other two to what is arguably the weirdest scene they've ever witnessed in their lives.

A weirdo dressed as a giant orange cat was approaching them at an overwhelming speed. The top of the cat body suit was in the shape of a huge orange cat head, with an opening for the face. Said person's face was painted in white, with pronounced cat whiskers and mouth painted on.

And on closer inspection said weirdo proved to be none other than Naruto.

Hinata watched, transfixed as her boyfriend approached, and much to her surprise she was still upright when he arrived to stand with them.

"We will call him kitty, since his name might cause you to faint." Sakura assured.

Hinata smiled shyly.

"And he won't be speaking at all, since the last time he said 'hi' to you, you fainted without even turning around." She assured.

Hinata's smile grew.

"So, could that work?"

The shy girl nodded, and Naruto grinned, fixing his cat ears proudly.

Sakura smiled.

"So, let's enjoy our first double date." Sakura announced and the four of them started walking.

*Let's See, how he likes it now.* She pondered. *He might have started to play my game, but with those two around, he won't have a chance to try anything.*

*Woooo….freakin…. hoo.* Inner Sakura commented lackadaisically.

A few minutes later Itachi and Naruto were aiming Kunai at a giant moving Styrofoam owl with a little bull's-eye on it. All in an attempt to win teddy bears for the girls, simply because Sakura thought it would be fun to ask Itachi to do it.

And of course, the Uchiha already claimed most of the teddy bears on the stand and was continuing to play only because Sakura said she wanted the big red one which was the prize you win after you score 1000 points.

For his part, Naruto was still attempting to win the small frog that he decided would be the perfect gift for Hinata. A frog worth 10 points.

"Here you go, Uchiha-Taicho." The vendor offered handing Itachi the giant bear.

Itachi took it with his normal grace and Sakura had to stifle a giggle as the Uchiha heir marched towards her carrying the giant stuffed animal.

"You find this amusing, Sakura?" He questioned.

Unable to help herself, Sakura answered truthfully, "Very."

Itachi smirked, handing her the bear, "Well, I'm glad I amuse you, Sakura." He said teasingly.

Sakura smiled accepting the bear.

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto claimed the little frog and silently handed it to Hinata who smiled shyly and blushed a shade of pink that put Sakura's hair to shame.

"Oh, the parade is starting." Sakura declared out of nowhere.

And by that she was referring to the winter parade, where a huge number of organizations put together marvelous looking floats to celebrate the beginning of the winter. Even the Anbu had a float, which now that she thinks about it, Itachi should have been on it since he was their number one captain.

"Hey, why aren't you on the anbu float, Itachi-san?" She questioned.

"I do not do floats, Sakura." He said simply.

*Of course not, it's not like you look like a male model or something.* She thought humorously.

"Alright then, let's go watch the parade." She suggested.

Itachi seemed to consider that for a second.

"It would be wiser to step into a shaded area Sakura, it will rain." He said informatively.

Sakura looked around her, and sure enough there were plenty of clouds as well as the telltale smell of rain in the air.

But, shaded area be damned, she wasn't about to step into a secluded place with him.

"Oh, please, Itachi-san, just for a few minutes, please….."

"Sakura….."

The rest of his sentence was interrupted by Sakura officially running off towards the direction of the music, which was where the parade was at.

Itachi gave her a dangerous look as he gracefully started walking after her.

Naruto gulped inside his cat-suit, it was no secret that he was scared of Itachi.

A second later, Naruto and Hinata followed after Itachi and Sakura and the four watched as the parade started with a float representing the police force.

And much to Sakura's surprise, Shisui was on top of that one dressed as a policeman and doing a little dance to the music that made him seem more like a stripper playing a policeman, which didn't go unappreciated by the now oohing and ahhing female audience.

Sakura grinned, however, in a moment her grin turned to a frown, when just as Itachi predicted the heavens opened and started pouring.

This wouldn't have been a problem if Naruto's face wasn't obscured by a very thin layer of paint which is very susceptible to washing off.

Sakura gawked as Naruto's face slowly started showing, and Hinata started hyperventilating.

"Hinata-chan…" Naruto exclaimed completely forgetting that he shouldn't be talking, let alone saying her name. And just like that, Hinata left the world of the conscious.

Naruto quickly caught her before she hit the ground.

"Well, that was by far the longest date we ever had." He said, displaying his knack for always seeing the bright side.

Sakura smiled kindly at her friend.

"I'll take her home, before she catches a cold." He said, rather apologetically, he really didn't wanna leave her with Itachi.

Sakura nodded reassuringly and just like that, Naruto and Hinata were out of the picture.

Sakura returned her eyes to the parade trying to avoid the connotations of them being alone again, however, Itachi had other plans.

"How about we step out of the rain, Sakura, I need to warm you up." He said smoothly, an obvious double entendre.

Sakura's eyes widened.

*Damn it.* She pondered as he inched closer to her, ready to lead her away. *Plan B, Plan B… Oh God please let them be here.* She mentally pleaded.

And her prayers seemed to be instantaneously answered.

In a second, Sakura's eyes light up as another float entered her field of sight.

Itachi raised an eyebrow at her hopeful expression and turned around to trace her gaze, only to lay eyes on a giant pink float with the Uchiha crest on it. Well, it was the Uchiha crest except that the colors pink and violet seemed to replace white and crimson on the Uchiha fan.

And that was all it took for his prodigious mind to connect the dots and decipher her plan.

He turned to look at her and for once Sakura opted to really show her true colors as she grinned devilishly at him.

Itachi raised an eyebrow in amusement, watching almost admiringly as Sakura took a step back, opened her mouth and shouted, "OH MY GOD, IT'S UCHIHA ITACHI."

And that was all it took for the women on the pink float to take notice and almost instantaneously pounce. Sakura could have sworn they were standing between her and Itachi before she could even finish her sentence.

She stepped back and watched Itachi completely disappear in the midst of the women who were previously on the float adorned with the sign: "Uchiha Itachi 's Fan Club."

Sakura grinned, eyes gleaming with malice as she watched the women completely enshroud the Uchiha.

*Oh God, are they trying to take his clothes off?* Inner Sakura screamed. *Nooo, save him! I'm the only one who should be doing that!* She yelled frantically. *Oh do something will ya, if they already stripped him, go get a few pictures.* She advised.

Completely ignoring her inner, Sakura turned around and started walking.

"Serves him right." She said to no one in particular.

* * *

**For the first time ever I'll have to say: Poor Itachi. **

**Sakura sure is devious. **

**I hope you guys liked this one. Originally, it was meant to be much longer (Sakura's night is not over yet). However, I decided to cut it in half, cuz this seemed like a very good place to end. **

**I'd really love to know what you guys think so far, only a few chapters to go ;) **

**Many thanks to those who are reviewing and those who supported this story so far. I truly love you guys :D**

**Please Review.**


	14. Chapter 14

Startled civilians ducked hurriedly out of the way, and it wasn't because of the seemingly approaching storm. Not that a pink haired medic, holding a giant red teddy bear, while wearing an eerie smile and marching through the festival grounds looking like she just killed someone; is any less scary than an early onset winter storm.

Sakura smirked once again as some more people scampered away. She really wasn't about to hold back or act polite at the moment. She was so damn happy and proud of herself that she didn't even care enough to step outside of the rain. For all she knew, she was on top of the world and some drops of water were nothing when you were as powerful as she felt.

She just tricked him and got him mobbed by his very own fan club. We're talking about crazy girls here. Girls who spent the last five years meeting three days a week in a giant room akin to a shrine to Itachi, with pictures of him covering every inch of it; even the wall paper was a giant mural of Itachi.

Their triweekly activities consisted of adding new pictures of Itachi to their ever growing collection, discussing their favorite Itachi fantasy (you don't wanna know) and drooling over a life-size cutout of the Uchiha heir.

And right now, thanks to Sakura; those women were treated to an actual feel of the real thing. Sakura supposed she should thank Ino for her assistance. After all, she used her connections as the president of Sasuke's fan-club to get the women there just on time for Sakura's little act.

Sakura grinned, as she remembered the speed by which the women pounced. *Oh, that was priceless.* She cooed mentally, as she finally reached the gates and exited the festival grounds.

By now, Sakura was soaking wet, but she still didn't mind it one bit, as she grinned mischievously at poor civilians, causing them to run away quickly leaving her alone on the quickly dampening streets.

Now, she'd go home, take a shower, tuck herself into bed with a nice book, and a warm glass of hot chocolate, before drifting to sleep with a smile on her face as she welcomes a bunch of self-congulatory dreams.

It didn't take long for the medic to enter her street. She considered getting something to eat before she went up since she still hadn't gotten around to stocking up on canned foods, however, she concluded from the looks of the street and the seemingly approaching storm that no stores would be open at the moment.

Thus the girl walked on, undeterred by the cold and rain. Her victorious grin only growing at the thought of Uchiha Itachi all wet and cold and tied to a post in some maniacal fangirl's basement.

*Damn you, who's more maniacal than me?* Inner Sakura said, completely outraged. *And now some lesser loon has the smexy captain tied to a post, while the only thing I have to look forwards to is a cup of hot chocolate.* She whined. *And we don't even have marshmellows.* She added, suppressing a sob.

The medic shook her head, unwilling to be discouraged by her inner's negative attitude. She finally paid him back for some of the things he's done to her. And the image of him running from fangirls came unbidden to her mind, as she rounded a corner to her building, which put a ridiculously big evil smile on her face.

Said smile however, quickly changed into bewilderment, then to shock, and finally to flat out horror.

A slow yet deliberate smile spread across his sculptured features as he took in her quickly changing expression. He was soaking wet from waiting for her on the street for a while, however, other than that, he still maintained his perfectly impeccable looks, as if no fangirl ever touched him. And he was leaning back against the door to Sakura's apartment building effectively blocking it, while making it all seem rather casual with a relaxed face and hands carefully tucked into black pant pockets.

"They didn't rape you….." She said in a weak voice, somehow managing to sound every bit as disappointed as she felt.

At that, Itachi actually had the nerve to look bemused.

"Not to my knowledge, Sakura." He said simply, still standing completely immobile and effectively blocking the door.

Sakura blinked, still reeling from the surprise and completely incapable of filtering her thoughts before they are beamed to her lips. "But why?" She asked despondently.

Itachi smirked.

*snap out of it you moron, you're gonna get us killed.* Inner Sakura roared. And Sakura glared at both her and Itachi. She was fed up, hell, she spent an entire night pretending to be nice, wasn't she entitled to show her true colors for a bit. And what was he gonna do anyway, kill her, well, bring it on, she wasn't one to shy away from a fight, and she sure as hell wasn't gonna go down without a fight epic enough to get this night recorded in the history books as the night Uchiha Itachi got a black eye and went crying home to his mother.

"Did you want them to rape me?" He questioned conversationally.

"Yes." She said matter of factly.

*Hell yea.* She roared mentally, balling a fist and staring challengingly at the impassive ice-prince.

At that, the Uchiha looked thoughtful for a while, evidently detecting the change in her demeanor, a second later, he tilted his head to the side slightly and gave her a crooked smile.

"Please, feel free to step up and finish what they attempted, Sakura." He said invitingly and the way his tenor took a dip, made it crystal clear that he was dead serious.

Sakura blanched.

"No thank you." She said waving a hand.

"Why not?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I'm not really into raping people, thank you very much." She said offhandedly.

"However, you had no qualms about inviting those women into my personal space." He deadpanned.

"I really don't see your point." She said humorously, barely restraining herself from sticking her tongue out at him.

"I am glad you are back to normal." He said coolly.

Sakura blinked, quickly catching on to what he was referring to.

"Well, I have my limits, and I couldn't really act like I liked you any longer." She declared, raising her head haughtily.

However, her playfulness soon turned into anxiety as the Uchiha's jaw tightened ever so slightly.

"What?" She questioned and as a precaution she slowly moved into a battle stance, you never know with a guy whose mood changes within a second.

"We missed our reservations, Sakura." He said, now back to his clipped tenor.

Sakura found herself frowning as she pondered the vast difference between his tone now and that he used only a few seconds ago when he was humorously teasing her.

"Oh well." She said in pretend disappointment. "Maybe some other time." She said in a cool tenor, one akin to that she used to placate Lee when he pouted about her refusing to join him for a romantic lap around Konoha.

Itachi watched her silently as she made her way closer to where he was standing, came to a stop in front of him and emphatically yawned bringing her entire arm up as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"I'd better turn in." She said purposefully drooping her eyes.

Itachi didn't move from his position between her and the door.

"It's also very cold now and I'm drenched in water." She said feigning tiredness.

Nope, still didn't move.

"It was such a long day." She added looking him pointedly in the eyes.

Still there.

"Well, goodnight then." She said meaningfully eyeing him then the door.

He didn't even blink.

For a second, Sakura pondered his inhuman ability to remain still. It really was a talent.

"Will you please, get out of my way." She said and it pretty much sounded like a threat.

"Or?" He said without missing a beat.

Sakura raised an eyebrow, her temper flaring once again.

"You know what, Uchiha," She bellowed, her outburst perfectly highlighted by a timely streak of lightening. "I have had enough!" She declared. "You…. You…. You….. You might be this big bad and scary Anbu captain… But guess what, I don't caaaaare." She said bravely. "If you wanna fight, then go ahead. But I'm not gonna take it anymore, you ruined my class and my reputation and I am not about to let you ruin my night." She declared, before pausing for a second, "Or my relationship with Sasuke." She added as an afterthought. *Ooops almost forgot about that one.*

For a minute then, everything just went silent, as Sakura stared challengingly at the Uchiha, emerald eyes glistening menacingly, in a clear display of her Tsunade inherited temper.

*The hell with it.* Was all Sakura could think, her eyes trained on him, watching with fascination as his onyx orbs darkened, and hoping desperately for them to stay onyx rather than flashing crimson, cuz if they do, then by God she'd feel stupid for choosing to have a glaring contest with him of all people.

She was so busy watching his eyes, that she momentarily forgot to pay attention to his arms. And an instant was all it took for the Uchiha to move.

It was quicker than lightening and much too fast for the girl to even fathom, let alone respond.

One second he was leaning casually against the door and looking impassively down at her, and the next she was in the air being flung unceremoniously across a steady shoulder, while the Uchiha very gracefully started to walk.

She was draped over in such a way that her face was eye level with his, *Glorious behind.* Inner Sakura said positively drooling.

Sakura blinked, and for a few seconds, her mind refused to believe that this was actually happening.

This resulted in her staying calm for the second it took for Itachi to jump in the air and start travelling at a ruthless speed, from one roof top to the other.

Eventually, she found her voice.

"Put me down." She said petulantly. She really was finding it hard to believe that she was being hauled around Konoha on Uchiha Itachi's shoulder. Man her life was weird.

"No." He said simply, as he cleared the residential areas and landed on a pavement.

Sakura thanked her lucky stars that the approaching storm scared most people off of the streets, otherwise she would have become a laughing stock by now.

However, much to her grumpy dismay, a few civilians were still littering the corners of the streets, some of them opting to do some last minute shopping just in case the storm ended up being a big one.

Sakura squirmed uncomfortably trying to wriggle herself free. Unfortunately, the iron grip on her lower back kept her immobile.

*He's really strong.* She remarked in awe.

*Aren't you a smart cookie? Please tell me you're not just figuring this one out.* Inner Sakura remarked, earnestly shocked at her other self's obliviousness.

The medic scowled, as a few people turned to look at them and whisper.

She blushed as some of them appeared to recognize Itachi.

Well, he was really hard to miss, what with his Adonis like good looks, now accentuated tenfold by the fact that he was soaking wet.

For his part, Itachi was completely unaffected. Walking gracefully across the place, as if carrying a backpack on his shoulder, rather than a fully grown woman.

Hell, even the surprised looks people were giving him, didn't give him any pause.

Sakura scowled, finally arriving at an idea.

"Put me down will ya!" She said/screamed in fake indignation. Well, she was indignant but she was slightly overdoing it for the sake of the viewing audience. "Just because you paid for this date, doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!" She added, grinning as the people's eyes widened. "Oh, Itachi-san pleaaaseee!" She finished in an even higher voice.

A few passerbys gasped in shock, while a few others started whispering enthusiastically amongst each other.

At that, Itachi flashed the few nosy onlookers a deadly calm look that sent them running for their lives.

Sakura frowned as the audience abandoned her.

A second later, Itachi once again took to the rooftops of another residential area and it was all Sakura could do, to keep from yelping at the insane speed at which he was going.

Sakura closed her eyes.

*Yup,* Inner Sakura said nodding sagely. *I was right, you most certainly will be the death of me.* She said resigning herself to her fate. *But, I'd have you know that I'm disinheriting you. Ya hear me!* She screamed. *You'll get nothing!* She added waving her hands dramatically. *Nothing I tell ya.*

Sakura sighed.

*Like you own anything.* She said sarcastically.

But before inner could retort, Sakura felt the need to open her eyes, as they seemed to have stopped moving.

"That was quite a show, Sakura." He said calmly and if he was upset by her little 'show' he hid it well.

"Well it's the truth isn't it?" She questioned, slightly weirded out by the fact that she was having this conversation from her perch on his back.

As if hearing her thoughts, Itachi flung her ever so effortlessly, and before she knew it she was lying in his arms bridal style, instead of on his back.

This time, she yelped.

Itachi eyed her calmly.

"You are right." He said in a deadly calm tenor, his dark onyxes boring into startled emeralds. "I did pay for this date, Sakura. And that does give me a few privileges." He added, eyes darkening.

Sakura gulped.

"You…. You… You…" She stuttered, her mind trying desperately not to connect the dots.

Determination touched her eyes a second later, and she drew on all her combat training, put a hand on his shoulder and flipped herself over so that she summersaulted out of his arms.

"Hell no!" She declared. "You didn't get raped, and hell if I will!" She said candidly, as she glared angrily at him. "I'll punch you through a wall if I have to!"

Itachi eyed her calmly for a second.

Before humor danced in his calm orbs.

"I was referring to dinner, Sakura." He said in an obviously teasing tenor. "I have dinner privileges, courtesy of the auction." He declared with a smirk.

Sakura gaped at him.

*That bastard, he wanted me to think he meant something else.* She mentally roared.

"I know you did." She said childishly.

Itachi eyed her amusedly, not a lot of women were that obvious and childish.

"I am sure you did, Sakura." He placated.

"Hey, where are we?" She said, half to draw attention away from her outburst and half because they were standing in front of a giant mansion like, two story building that looked far too elegant to have her soaked self standing in front of it.

"My house." He said impassively, before turning around and opening the door for her.

Sakura froze, eyes fixed on him.

"Do I need to carry you in, Sakura?" He said suggestively.

"I am not going into your house." She said shaking her head like a little child not wanting to shower. Which is rather ironic since her poor beige dress has soaked up more water than her towel ever could.

"You don't have much of a choice." He said calmly.

She blinked not really understanding.

A roar of thunder made his point clear.

Sakura looked behind her and understood exactly why he chose to run for the better part of their journey.

It was raining cats and dogs, the skies looked rather ominous, clattered with clouds dense enough to be visible even in the night sky, and the thunder and lightning were becoming too frequent that Sakura now felt the need to scowl every time she looked up.

Now, add to all of this the fact that the wind was quickly picking up speed and you'd have one terrible if not impossible trip back home.

"How did you do that?" She questioned accusingly. "Are you a sorcerer or something?"

Itachi smirked.

"Something." He said lightheartedly, before waving for her to come in.

She obliged, not really knowing what else to do.

*In a horrifying abandoned mansion with a vampire. What are you trying to do to me!* Inner Sakura screamed, now freaking out.

*Not a vampire.* She said matter of factly, although she really wasn't that sure of it herself.

On that note, Sakura followed Itachi into his home.

The second he walked in lights sprung to life of their own accord, giving Sakura a view of one of the most stunning places she's ever seen.

The Uchiha heir's house was rather spacious, to her right she could see almost 4 different living room sets, one of them constructed so that it is one step below the ground level and looking like the most comfortable place ever constructed with a ridiculously looking round sofa. A giant dining room also made its way into Sakura's line of vision. It was very simple, albeit huge; it had a black base, which looked like the trunk of a tree, and a transparent crystalline top, with 12 black chairs. To Sakura's left, the girl could see a rather elegant modern kitchen, built into the giant reception area, so you could see what was happening in it, while dining or just lounging.

All the living rooms were facing glass windows rather than walls, which paired with the white floors; made the room seem even more spacious, if that's even possible. And now, the glass gave Sakura a rather distant view of the approaching storm, giving her slight pause.

"It's fortified glass Sakura, not even a direct hit by lightning could tear through it." Itachi said, as if reading her mind. He didn't stop though, he kept walking and Sakura kept following until she found herself at the base of a giant staircase leading to the second floor.

Once at the steps, Itachi started walking up.

Sakura took a second to look around her, and then back at the Uchiha, uncertain of what to do.

The Uchiha paused at the top of the stairs, eyeing Sakura with a raised eyebrow, before turning around and continuing to walk, effectively disappearing from her sight.

The girl really was confused, but she was wet, tired, and has probably already pissed him off more than anyone else ever dared to try. *Ah screw it!* She thought courageously, as she ran up the stairs as fast as she could so that she can catch the Uchiha.

At a distance she caught a glimpse of his back walking into a room down the corridor.

She followed cautiously, eyes quickly scanning over the many closed doors. *How many rooms does one man need?*

*Well, I'm sure he needs a lot of rooms to hold and torture all the idiots who dare piss him off.* Inner Sakura said accusingly.

Sakura ignored her, she really didn't need anyone trying to scare her at the moment. She already threw caution to the wind and she'd fight if she had too.

*Don't forget to look him in the eyes too while you're at it.* Inner Sakura advised bitterly.

The medic stepped into the room and stopped at the doorway, eyes quickly scanning her surroundings.

Familiar black silken sheets draped over an oversized bed caught her eyes first. The room was huge, with the bed occupying the middle portion of it. And unlike his room at the family house, this one had a balcony attached to it, which made Sakura breathe a sigh of relief. It wasn't all black either, this room looked much different, it was painted in sheer white, all around, which made the black bed even more evident in comparison. He had a dresser here, not too flashy but a small white mahogany dresser.

The room had a comforting feel to it. Probably because of all the black and white contrast.

A second later Itachi's figure drew her roaming eyes over to him, only to find him shirtless, now wearing only his black wet pants, even his shoes and socks were gone as he stood next to the bathroom door and looked calmly back at Sakura.

She gulped unable to stop herself from taking the briefest of looks at his well toned physique.

*Oh, my.* Inner Sakura said lecherously, eyes scanning over well-defined six packs, a chiseled chest, a rather narrow waist, and inviting pale skin made even more alluring by tiny droplets of rain still clinging greedily to it.

"Enjoying the view?" He said in a low tenor, causing the girl to blush.

Her eyes quickly shot up to meet his, and she blushed even harder.

"No!" She lied.

Itachi smirked.

"You should take off your clothes too, Sakura, or you'll catch a cold." He warned in his professional tenor.

Sakura blinked a couple of times.

"Nope." She said simply.

How dumb does he think she is?

This word seemed to have a very negative effect on the Uchiha, he raised a threatening eyebrow at the girl, obviously not appreciating her disobedience.

"I am sure you will find something in my closet that you could wear, and you'll find everything you need for a shower in there." He said monotonously, as he gestured towards the bathroom. "I'll be downstairs when you're done." He finished stalking towards the door where Sakura was, as if the matter has been settled.

"I am not going to…" Sakura started as he was right next to her at the door.

He turned to her with an impassive look on his face, "I can see through your dress, Sakura." He said in a smooth yet deep tenor that made her eyes fly open and her breath hitch.

The pinkette quickly looked down and just as he said, she could clearly see the contours of her black bra, and even her panties were visible. Hell, the dress clung to her like it was painted on.

She blushed a humiliating shade of crimson, and folded her arms in front of her, as her eyes shot up to meet his unfairly amused ones.

Itachi smirked.

"You have fifteen minutes." He said authoritatively, giving the girl a once over that made her take a step away and glare at him.

The Uchiha prince grinned playfully at the girl who was now pouting at him, before he turned around and walked out closing the door behind him and giving her some much needed privacy.

Sakura sighed dropping to her knees, and burying her face in her hands in humiliation.

*Damn it!*

.

Sakura sighed blissfully. Had she been a cat, she would have been purring right now, as she stood in Itachi's giant tub, with water coming at her from all directions, almost 5 different shower heads, all submersing her previously cold body with warm water, while delicious steam filled her nostrils with the smell of cleanliness.

*Wow.* She purred. *It's really good to be rich, remind me if we ever get that rich that I need to duplicate this bathroom. Man it's bigger than my living room.* Sakura pondered. *Ahhh, but I can't believe he could see through my dress this whole time, ahhhh.*

*Oh give it up will ya, you should be apologizing to him for subjecting him to that. Plus, it's the most action you've ever gotten as far as I'm concerened.* Her inner declared from her perch in a corner in Sakura's mind.

Sakura scowled.

*Idiot.* She hissed at her inner. *Don't you know that you should never entice a vampire like that or he'll attack you.* She said with a sly smile.

Inner Sakura stood up quickly gaping at Sakura.

*I thought you said he wasn't a vampire.* She said looking like she saw a ghost.

*I lied.* Sakura said in a spooky voice, and just like she expected, her inner blanched and made a mad dash to go look for a good hiding place.

*Much better.* Sakura thought blissfully. At least now her mind is quiet and she could enjoy her perfect shower and the delicious steam.

Sakura smiled, as she lathered her hair.

Who knew Itachi used vanilla scented shampoo.

Somehow it suited him, calm and unassuming with a ting of mystery.

.

Five minutes later, Sakura stuck her head out of the bathroom, cautiously looking around the room for any sign of Itachi.

Once her well-honed senses assured her of his absence, the girl stepped out silently. She had wrapped a towel around herself and now it was time to search for something to wear.

Much to her chagrin, her dress might take hours to dry, and she really wasn't about to risk getting a cold by staying in it. Hell she was risking so many things staying in it.

Opening Itachi's closet, Sakura's eyes scanned over the assortment of very neatly arranged clothes. He had his Anbu uniforms hanging side by side, occupying almost a quarter of his humongous closet, and over to the other side he had his suits, mostly black jackets and black pants, with the occasional white or grey one. And over at the far side of the closet he had jeans.

The drawers had an assortment of ties, and carefully ironed, shirts and T-shirts.

Sakura had to take a minute to marvel at how neat everything was.

Man, she had gone to stores that weren't as organized.

*What to wear, what to wear…..* She sang mentally. *Oh, that'll do.* She finally decided, reaching for her chosen items.

.

Days flit by, looking exactly like each other; even the different ones didn't hold much excitement. They could be aptly described as normal, regular even mundane. And like everyone else, a person develops a routine which envelops everything in a monotonous, albeit comfortable cloud of normalcy. And just like that, life becomes predictable. Neither happy nor sad, just predictable. This is how Sakura's life has always been.

However, at the moment, as she stands at the top of the stairs, clad in nothing but one of Itachi's shirts; the girl couldn't help but wonder at how much her life has changed since she started playing this little game and unwittingly invited Itachi into her life.

For weeks now, he's been taunting her and using all the tricks in his vast arsenal to try and make her life a living hell. However, her life has never been more exciting, it has never reached this exhilarating state. And on some level, Sakura was kinda enjoying it.

She smiled as she cast her eyes over to the giant wall sized windows and saw lightning strike at a distance, as the rain mercilessly attacked the glass.

The storm however, seemed to be miles away from where Sakura stood. And she felt uncannily safe.

It might have been because of the fact that the second she stepped out of the room, her ears were delightfully assaulted by the sounds of classical music blasting through the house and effectively drowning out the sounds of thunder and rain and reducing the storm to nothing but a background event.

If the storm was just a background then, Sakura couldn't help but wonder about what was about to transpire on the main stage.

On that thought, the girl padded down the steps. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't scared, but there was a sense of morbid curiosity that always filled her whenever she was around Itachi. It was as if she knew that she had to run from a fire, yet couldn't help but walk straight towards it.

She sighed, *I might have to kick Sasuke's ass for getting me into this.*

*I might have to send him a thank you note.* Inner Sakura suddenly blurted as Sakura reached the bottom step.

And it wasn't like Sakura could really blame her once she factored in the sight that greeted her. For Itachi stood in his kitchen in nothing but grey sweatpants and an exposed torso.

And to make things even worse -or better, depending on how you look at it-, his hair was for once allowed to cascade freely down his muscular back in an enticing dark curtain of damp locks.

Sakura almost gasped at the sight, absently thanking her lucky stars for the fact that he had his back to her as he busied himself with stirring the contents of a bowl.

Her eyes traced the movements of his muscles as he stirred, remarking that he seemed truly relaxed here in his house with the music blasting and his hair down. Even his tense and forever professional posture was gone, replaced by a more comfortable stance.

*Wow.* Inner Sakura sang, about ready to melt.

The man was normally enticing, but as he stood there in nothing but sweats he seemed more like a dream than reality. For how on earth could such perfection exist?

On that thought, Sakura decided to start walking towards the kitchen.

After all, he did give her just fifteen minutes to wash up, and from the looks of it, he himself has long since finished taking a shower, and even started on making them something to eat.

Once she started to move, Itachi inclined his head to the side without turning around.

"You are two minutes late, Sakura." He remarked, as he put the spoon down.

Sakura scowled, fighting down the urge to blurt out a scathing reply.

"Yah, well I couldn't find something to wear." She said simply. "Your pants were too big." She fessed up.

At that, Itachi decided to turn around to look at her right as she walked into the kitchen.

And for some reason, the look he gave her froze her in place. He took in her appearance, as she stood there in nothing but one of his shirts that managed to cover only a portion of her thighs, and her long pink hair wet and allowed to travel freely down her back.

His eyes darkened considerably at the sight, and Sakura found herself blushing and fumbling for something to say to break the tension.

"I hung my dress up to dry." She blurted. "I… is this ok?" She questioned, referring to the fact that she borrowed his shirt.

Itachi stared unabashedly at her for a second, before a slow smile spread across his lips. "This is perfect." He said in a husky voice.

Sakura looked away from him quickly.

"What are you doing?" She questioned, desperate for a change of subject. After all, the last thing she wanted was to join inner Sakura on the train of thought that led her into considering the situation at hand, *You-him, both wet and in minimal clothing.* Inner Sakura sang. *Do I need to say more.* She added in a dreamy voice. *That countertop looks good.* She added for good measures.

"I am making us something to eat." He answered turning to what he was previously doing as if nothing just happened.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can I help you?" She offered.

"I was under the impression that you cannot cook." He remarked.

"I am sure there is something I could do." She allowed. "Umm, something that even I can't mess up."

He gave a thoughtful, "Hn."

"What are you making?" She questioned, her stomach giving an appreciative rumble as a whiff of delicious smells tore through the air.

Itachi gestured towards the stove where a few pans lay simmering.

Sakura opened the lid on one, to find pasta boiling. And in the second she found the white sauce which previously enticed her appreciative stomach.

"I also have steak roasting in the oven." Itachi said in a relaxed tone, as he continued to stir the same bowl.

Sakura quickly chided herself for wanting nothing more than to stand back and ogle him.

"And what's that?" She questioned, referring to the contents of the bowl he was stirring.

"Dessert."

"Oh." She said, smiling happily as she took in the appearance of the melted chocolate he was mixing.

He raised his head to eye her speculatively.

"You like chocolate." He concluded.

"Love it." She twitted.

"Good." He said in his smooth tenor.

"You like this, don't you?" She paused. "I mean, cooking and music…..I… I mean… You look relaxed…. I….." She fumbled for words.

Itachi still eyed her with his unflappable calm.

"I enjoy having you here." He said matter of factly.

She blushed, yet steeled herself. "Riiiiight." She said distrustfully.

Itachi smirked.

"You can chop some vegetables." He offered.

"Oh, I can do that." She declared, happy at a chance to be of assistance.

With that, Itachi walked towards the sink and produced a bowl of vegetables that he had previously washed. Along with them he brought a knife, before settling them next to his bowl on the counter.

Sakura stepped up on cue and picked up the knife and an unfortunate piece of broccoli, which she then proceeded to beat within inches of its life.

Itachi watched amusedly as the girl displayed just how bad she was at this.

"Sakura." He called, sparing the poor vegetable an untimely death.

Sakura raised her head and gave him a sheepish look, which assured him that she had no clue that you weren't supposed to try and mince a broccoli, not if you had any intention of eating it afterwards.

"Let me show you." He offered, and she nodded, now figuring that she was doing something wrong.

A second later, Sakura's eyes widened, as the Uchiha heir dropped his spoon and casually strolled to stand behind her.

A second of anticipation passed, before Itachi leaned in and took her hand in his, positioning his body so that it was almost touching hers, but not really.

Sakura froze in place not really knowing what to do.

And inner Sakura passed out; when Itachi leaned down to speak directly in Sakura's ear. He was all business though as he proceeded, "You are supposed to chop, Sakura." He breathed, causing Sakura's breath to quicken. "Not mince." He said, as he guided her hand to chop a zucchini. "Especially since we will be using the vegetables in a soup." He explained.

She nodded, not really hearing what he was saying.

On some level she knew that she had to push him away, but for the life of her she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Itachi retained his position behind her, his hand gently touching hers as he guided her through a few more strokes. And Sakura valiantly restrained herself from leaning back into him.

"I got it." She finally managed, her voice coming out much weaker than she wished, but nonetheless she successfully communicated that she no longer needed instruction.

*I hate you!* Inner Sakura growled. But Sakura was too busy attempting to seem unaffected as she pondered the fact that staying this close to him was really bad for her health.

Sakura could hear his smirk behind her, as he leaned his head so that the side of his forehead touched hers, while his hand momentarily enveloped hers, causing her to unceremoniously drop the knife as she fought back a gasp.

"I see." He said in the smoothest tenor she has ever heard in her life. "You are a quick study, Sakura." He whispered gently stroking the palm of her hand with his thumb, and from that proximity she could feel his warm breath on the side of her face, before his hand released hers, causing her inner self to groan in disappointment and her to gallantly fight to stop herself from doing the same.

*Damn it!* She roared mentally, as Itachi moved ever so swiftly so that he was once again occupied with the giant bowl of chocolate. *Get a grip will ya…..* She screamed more at herself than at her inner.

*Why don't **you** lose your bloody grip already.* Inner shot back. *I hate you!* She declared before running away in tears.

For her part, Sakura decided to act like it was all cool, picking up the knife and proceeding to do what he showed her. Not that she was really paying attention, but God has blessed her with a very good muscle memory, which made it very easy to copy his previously demonstrated movements.

Itachi regarded her for a second as she started chopping, before returning to his ministrations after making sure that she was on the right track.

A few minutes passed in comfortable silence, as the two tended to their tasks. Itachi adding flower and butter, while Sakura chopped more vegetables for their soup, both enveloped in soothing classical music, and the blissful feel of staying in during a storm.

Sakura's mind drifted to her teammates, imaging the coronary they'd have if they were to know what she was doing at the moment. She jotted down a mental note to casually mention this during a conversation with them, just to rile them up. Oh, but those two could be such fun at times.

"Your actions today were quite amusing, Sakura." Itachi said casually. "I must say, I did not expect you to call upon those women."

Sakura huffed.

"I'd be much more amused if they had done the task they were supposed to." She said earnestly. "How did you escape them, anyway?" She questioned, honestly curious.

Itachi smirked.

"After seeing your expectant expression before you called them, I opted for a kage-bunshin." Came his monotone.

Sakura blinked a couple of times.

"So they didn't even get close to you." She surmised.

"Hn." Was his reply. "However, for a few minutes they thought they did."

Sakura grinned, not able to stop herself from having some fun at the expense of the girls.

"It must have been quite a letdown when your clone evaporated." Sakura said laughingly. "They have a shrine for you, you know. They present offerings and all." She added informatively.

Itachi turned his head towards her, and raised an eyebrow.

"You seem very knowledgeable about their rituals. I didn't know you were a member of that club, Sakura." He teased.

The medic scowled, shaking her head.

"Ino told me. She's the one with the knowledge." She explained hastily.

"I see." He said with a smirk.

"You seem to be in a sharing mood." Sakura offered hopefully.

"Is there something you would like for me to share?" Came his level tenor.

"A lot." She said honestly.

"Hn." He said thoughtfully. "If you answer my questions, Sakura, I will answer yours."

Sakura momentarily ignored the carrot in her hand in favor of looking at him.

It felt like she would be walking into a trap if she took that deal, but there really were a lot of things that she wanted to ask him, and he seemed laid back enough for her to try.

"Alright." She finally said. "Deal." She added, with a big smile.

Itachi regarded her for a second before nodding for her to go ahead.

"Well, why did you sign me up for the auction and why did you pay that much money?" She questioned.

"Those are two questions." He pointed out. "I wanted to spend time with you, Sakura. That is why." He said simply.

"Why?" She questioned.

"I believe it is my turn to ask now."

"Umm… Go ahead." She said hesitantly.

Itachi took a minute to regard her, which made her blood run cold. He could ask her anything, and she'd have to reply truthfully, partially because that's the game they were playing and also because he would know if it were a lie. *Damn it, what have I gotten myself into.* She mentally whined.

Itachi eyed her silently for another minute, fixing her under his unwavering gaze.

"Is your hair color real?" He finally offered in that unflappably inexpressive tone of his.

Sakura gawked at him.

"Is my hair color real?" She parroted in disbelief. Did Uchiha Itachi just ask if her hair color was real? In the deepest recesses of her mind inner Sakura's laughter echoed.

"It is rather unnatural." He said simply.

She grinned. "It's real." She admitted. "And are you saying it doesn't look good?" She questioned teasingly.

Itachi smirked. "It suits you."

Sakura looked away to keep from blushing, instead busing herself with the torment of another vegetable.

"Umm… My turn?" She asked hopefully.

"Hn."

"So, why have you signed up for my class?"

"To torment you." He said without missing a beat. "My intel showed that you were most concerned about your work, which means that it was the best front for aiming an attack." He added impassively, as he added eggs to the mixture.

Sakura scowled.

"You…. You… That's really evil."

"This is not the first time you've called me that." He remarked.

"Well, you gotta admit you won't be named Mr. Congeniality any time soon."

Itachi smirked.

"I would be really surprised if I were." He said thoughtfully, causing the girl to giggle.

"Will you stop tormenting me any time soon?" She questioned.

He shook his head giving her a pointed look.

"Your turn." She said, concluding that she'd have to wait for him to ask her first.

"Why is it that you are only concerned about work?" He questioned and as a response to her confused look, he opted to elaborate. "Most women your age have other things on their minds."

She smiled knowingly.

"Let's just say I have something to prove." She said enigmatically.

"You are going to have to elaborate more." His lilting tenor echoed.

"Well, for years I have been nothing but Sasuke and Naruto's pink haired teammate. And for years, I have wanted nothing more than to be more and to be able to protect them rather than have them always come to my rescue, you know." She said in an emotion laden voice.

"I see." He said thoughtfully.

"Will you ever stop tormenting me?" She reiterated her question.

He smirked at her straight forward approach.

"No." Was his simple reply.

She scowled.

"Do you consider that evil?" He questioned in a light tone.

"Very."

He smirked, as he poured the contents of his bowl into small containers, while Sakura chopped her last victim.

"Please put them in a pot Sakura and add some salt. You will find the salt in that cupboard." He instructed, as he gestured towards the aforementioned cupboard.

"Okay." She said, as she made her way towards the cupboard to procure the salt, while Itachi proceeded to put the final touches on their dessert.

Sakura couldn't help but watch him as she went about doing what he asked. It was really fascinating to watch the Uchiha prince preoccupied by something other than plotting some poor fool's demise. After emptying the contents of the big bowl into the smaller ones, he walked gracefully over to Sakura in order to plop the smaller bowls in the oven, and Sakura couldn't help but gawk as her eyes traced his muscles rippling seductively, while he bent down to the oven.

She drew in more air than she normally would have, as she gave her eyes a direct order to look away and instead to focus on adding the salt to the vegetables and stirring them.

*Good.* She commended herself, as Itachi straightened up and regarded her as she put the salt container on the counter next to her.

"More salt?" She questioned detecting his eyes on her.

"You mean more sugar." He said simply and Sakura eyed him confusedly for a second, before something clicked and she re-gripped the container. And sure enough, now that she wasn't distracted by his Adonis like figure, Sakura was able to identify what she just added to the vegetables as sugar rather than salt.

She shifted uncomfortably.

"Sorry." She said, unleashing the power of her disarming smile on him.

Itachi smirked, his eyes gleaming in a way that raised Sakura's hackles.

"You just ruined the soup, Sakura." He said coolly. "You need to be punished for that."

The girl blanched, taking a step back in preparation for a possible attack.

Itachi gave her an assessing glance, before walking past her and retrieving something from behind her.

The girl watched carefully as he raised the thing and pressed a button, absently marveling at how mad could a person possibly get just because someone ruined their soup. He must really love soup.

A second later, the music got livelier with a jazzy edge to it.

"Dance with me, Sakura." Itachi offered smoothly.

Sakura gawked at him.

"Huh?"

"This is your punishment." He said simply, and before Sakura could gawk at him some more, the Uchiha started leading her out of the kitchen and into the spacious living room.

The music blasted and Sakura found herself drawn into Itachi's arms, with one arm around her waist. Itachi's other hand embraced hers as he started to move drawing her with him, in perfect tandem to the music's upbeat tempo.

Sakura couldn't believe what was happening, but her body moved of its own accord. The music was exhilarating and Itachi was, as expected, a great dancer.

He moved her swiftly across the place so that they were spinning from one end of the room to the other.

And before she knew it, Sakura was willingly participating in the dance, her arm resting on a well-muscled shoulder as they moved swiftly across the place.

Sakura smiled at the Uchiha, whose eyes never left hers, as the music dominated their every sense.

It all seemed rather surreal, and Sakura felt like a school girl having her first crush. It was exhilarating, liberating and wonderful, like nothing she has ever felt before.

When they eventually came to a stop once again in front of the kitchen, Sakura giggled happily and Itachi gave her an honest smile the likes of which she has never seen before.

She blushed.

"That's some punishment." She said breathlessly.

He smirked.

"I am glad you enjoyed it." He said bowing like the well-bred gentleman he was.

Sakura smiled walking side by side with him into the kitchen.

This was supposed to be her enemy, damn it, so what on earth was happening here. Why was he being all kinds of charming and why was she happier than she's ever been in her life.

"Dinner is served." Itachi said formally, as he started garnishing their dishes.

Sakura moved to help, but he insisted she didn't. The girl scowled knowingly, "I am not gonna mess up again, you know." She said childishly.

"I am not inclined to take the risk." He teased.

She pouted, as he held the plates and started walking towards the living room area.

Ten minutes later, the two were sitting side by side looking up at the storm while enjoying the music, the delicious food and some perfect red wine.

"This tastes delicious." She remarked. "You should make a career out of this."

He smirked.

"I am sure my family will be delighted by that."

She giggled.

"I can only imagine." She said laughingly as she rose to her feet, with the intention of taking the dishes to the kitchen.

Itachi rose the second she stood up and she marveled at his inbred manners.

"Why are you being so nice?" She questioned as they entered the kitchen.

"I already told you, Sakura, I enjoy your company." He whispered huskily as they both placed the dishes in the sink.

"Are you trying to trick me?" She questioned raising her eyes to meet his.

"No." He replied without missing a beat, his eyes boring into hers and darkening almost instantaneously.

Sakura stopped breathing.

"Stop fighting me, Sakura." He said, seemingly lost in the moment.

"Right back at you." She said and her voice came as a whisper as Itachi leaned closer to her, one hand cupping her face and tilting her head back as he closed the distance.

Sakura closed her eyes. This just felt right; it felt perfect, with him inches away from her, bathing her in his heat.

She could feel him now, their lips a mere hair's breadth apart and she had every inclination to lean up and meet him, however, an alarm went off in her mind and without even thinking she raised her hand and put it to his chest, effectively stopping him.

Onyx eyes stared wonderingly at her, no longer solid and unyielding, they were more like molten pools of black, and his voice made her knees go weak as he questioned, "Sakura."

She scowled.

"You're playing me again, aren't you?" She said, her voice distraught.

Itachi straightened up, frowning, yet he didn't say a word.

"This is too cruel. How can you do such a thing?" She screamed.

"Sakura….." He started again, this time moving an arm to wrap around hers, but Sakura swatted him away.

"What were you about to do hah? Seduce me, then go ahead and tell Sasuke that you won and that his girlfriend was willing to cheat on him? You know what…. I am done with this. I hate you… I really do….." She screamed at him before turning around and running out of the house, completely ignoring the storm.

Behind her, Itachi stood frozen in place, eyes fixed on the door where she disappeared.

.

**A few Minutes Later: **

"I made sure she got home safe."

"Hn."

"Are you Ok, little cousin?"

"Hn."

"Come on Itachi, you have got to..."

"This is enough, Shisui. You may leave."

* * *

**One more chapter and everything will be revealed ;) **

**What do you guys make of this? What was Shisui about to say? Any guesses?  
**

**Please Review. **


	15. Chapter 15

_**Communal Girlfriend**_

'_sharing is caring' and it appears some of Konoha's most eligible bachelors care just a little too much. You probably heard the rumors by now, and after careful research we have the scoop… _

_Almost two months ago, women all over Konoha sighed in disappointment when Uchiha Sasuke started going out with his teammate Haruno Sakura. _

_However, what no one expected was that Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't be the only eligible bachelor Haruno casts her web over, not even the only Uchiha. _

_Almost instantaneously after her relationship with Sasuke became public knowledge, Sakura was repeatedly spotted with none other than Sasuke's older brother and Konoha's most sought after man, Uchiha Itachi. Not only that, but the Uchiha clan heir reportedly started attending Haruno's medical class, taught at Konoha's General Hospital. _

_This is rather surprising since after just a tad bit of digging through old files, we discovered that Itachi-Taicho has already completed this advanced class, WHEN HE WAS SEVEN!_

_And as if this all isn't enough, eyewitnesses informed us that they have spotted Haruno at a local restaurant with Sasuke's cousin, Uchiha Shisui. The two were enjoying an intimate meal, before Sasuke walked in and as per our witnesses' statements the two cousins started fighting. _

_All of this added up to a very surprising climactic scene at the; charity Bachelorette auction held a week ago by _Konoha's: _'Cultural Affairs, Charity and Entertainment Committee'_ _ Where unsuspecting audience members were treated to an unprecedented bidding war between Itachi Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha and one more Uchiha you'd never guess…. _

_The last auction participant was none other than the very withdrawn commander of Anbu's Specialized Ops division, Madara Uchiha… You heard right, Madara Uchiha!_

_Madara was the last Uchiha to join the race for Haruno's affections, as he attempted to outbid his very own clan heir for a date with the medic. However, as always, Konoha's heartthrob managed to seal the deal and guarantee a win, with a staggering 200,000 as a down payment for a date with the pink haired medic (Picture featured on the opposite page.) _

_What's even more mindboggling is the fact that Uchiha Shisui reportedly claimed that Sakura Haruno was his wife!_

_A few weeks later, at the winter festival he shocked everyone by declaring that she has abandoned him for his best-friend. And by that he was referring to his cousin Itachi who had the medic wrapped in his arms. _

_Sasuke and Itachi-Taicho's girlfriend, Shisui's ex-wife and apparently Madara-sama's love interest!_

_And so the plot thickens. _

_This, however, leaves us with one question….. _

_Why?_

_The Uchiha men are the most adored bachelors in Konoha, so why do four of them chase after one girl? _

_Akari, a former waitress at 'Han's' Dango shop, says; "I just don't see it. There is nothing special about that girl." She declares shaking her head as we show her the attached picture of the medic. _

"_She's just lucky, I suppose." Minami, A house wife who frequents the same grocery store as Sakura said with a disgruntled glare at the picture. "But no one should be that lucky. The girl doesn't even know how to prepare a decent meal. She once asked me about the proper way of boiling an egg. She ended up burning her entire place that day." _

_Mundane in the looks department, and lacking in any special talents, Haruno Sakura has managed to grab the attention and somehow the affections of the men who keep the women of Konoha up at night._

_One can only wonder what the elders of the Uchiha clan have to say about four of their most dependable sons, sharing a girlfriend. _

_But one way or another, the story of Haruno Sakura, the Uchiha's communal girlfriend; goes to show us that everything is possible…._

_Until next week, _

_This is Konoha weekly's Editor in Chief, Riny. _

_Saying: miracles do happen. _

_Apparently. _

_._

The second Sakura put the paper down, Ino dove behind the couch on which she was sitting.

A second passed in silence, before the blonde decided to peak at her friend. Raising her head slightly, Ino took in Sakura's appearance as she sat silently with a stone faced expression for a few seconds, before taking a sip of her tea and putting the cup back on her coffee table where she put the paper.

Ino blinked confusedly.

This really wasn't the reaction she was expecting when she decided to cancel all her plans for the morning and come visit Sakura with the sole purpose of showing her what has been written about her.

Naturally, she expected Sakura to fly into a fit of rage capable of giving Tsunade's rage fits a run for their money. After all, the pinkette did learn from the best.

What she didn't expect was for Sakura to do a very good impression of Sasuke and remain completely impassive.

"Forehead…" Ino started cautiously, as she slowly rose to her feet and started walking around the sofa.

Emerald eyes rose to meet hers.

"Ummm, you've been hanging around Uchiha men so much, I think you caught whatever it is that makes them inexpressive. I guess it is a disease after all. Poor handsome men didn't stand a chance." She surmised. "Do you want me to take you to Shizune-senpai? Maybe she has a cure for impassiveness." The girl offered.

Sakura remained silent and Ino's eyes widened as she shook her head in disbelief. Silence and Sakura are two words that have never been mentioned in the same sentence before. This was scary. Real scary.

"Forehead!" Ino screamed in Sakura's face as she plopped on the sofa. "What is wrong with you? By now you should have started breaking stuff for no apparent reason."

"Maybe later." Sakura said dismissively, as she took yet another sip of her drink.

Ino gawked at her.

"Are you sick?" The blonde questioned, genuinely concerned now.

The medic shook her head.

"So, you're still upset over what happened yesterday at his house?" She surmised.

Sakura just gave her a pointed look.

"Well snap out of it will ya, you already look 10 years older than you are. You can do without the frown lines."

Sakura sighed.

"Wow… Even that couldn't rile you up?" Ino said with a low whistle. "That bad huh?"

Another sigh.

"Aren't you supposed to be in training right now? I though Kakashi sensei was back in town."

"I told Naruto and Sasuke that I wasn't going when they stopped by this morning."

"Did you tell them about what happened yesterday?"

The medic shook her head.

"Only that I have managed to thwart off all his attempts."

"Why did you not tell them what he really did?" Ino questioned confusedly.

"That'll make Sasuke question our plan once again." Sakura said calmly. "And I won't be beaten, especially after yesterday." She finished, for the first time ever since Ino came, showing some determination.

"Well then, do you wanna go get some breakfast?"

Sakura shook her head.

"How about going to catch a movie?"

Another no.

"Ummm, we could always go to the mall, watch women shop and frown upon their taste."

"That's your thing."

"Don't lie. You love it." Ino shot. "Fine, how about we go to a nursery and do the mothers the courtesy of telling them that their babies aren't really half as adorable as they think and that most of them actually look ugly."

Sakura scowled.

"Again, your thing."

Ino sighed.

"Then how about we go stalk Sasuke-kun, I bribed the guy who works at the bathhouse and the next time Sasuke-kun goes there he'd take a few pictures of him and give them to me. Wanna go check if he has them already?" The blonde questioned, positively glowing at the thought.

"You're insane." Sakura said, eyes widening in horror. "That's horrible."

"Your loss." Ino said dismissively, as she watched Sakura finally get to her feet. "How about we just go beat the girl who wrote this article to a pulp?"

"No thank you."

"Where are you going?"

"Any place where you can't bother me."

"You're so mean, Forehead." Ino whined, as she followed her friend out the door.

"So where are we going?" She questioned conversationally.

Sakura sighed miserably, concluding that there was just no way she was gonna get rid of her friend today.

.

Sasuke silently cursed his luck. Well, cursed isn't really accurate, more like he glared murderously at his luck while said luck cowered in a corner and attempted to explain that some things were unavoidable. Some things are just predetermined, and those things are one's destiny.

And unfortunately for Sasuke, his destiny came in the form of a life-sized mass of orange jubilance with a very loud voice and dreams of becoming the Hokage.

Well, that'd just be icing on the unfairly crappy cake that is Sasuke's life, now wouldn't it? Naruto being the Hokage and getting his big head etched in stone, man would that monument piss Sasuke off. Hell Sasuke just knew that Naruto's would be the first face on the Hokage mountain that comes with giant speakers that broadcast the blonde's voice all over the country as he constantly screams: 'believe it' for the world to hear.

Glaring once more at his luck, as if telling it: 'Don't you dare make that happen', Sasuke reluctantly shifted his eyes over to the forms of Naruto and Jiraiya talking right in the middle of the training grounds; like that was what this place was meant for.

And Sasuke actually had high hopes for this day, what with Kakashi being there for the training and all. It was just amazing how challenging one of Kakashi's trainings could be.

But lo and behold, Kakashi decided to cut the training session short after just one hour and simply saunter away after giving some lame ass excuse.

Adding to Sasuke's annoyance is the fact that Sakura wasn't there and Sasuke knew for a fact that she was hiding something from him. He just knew that his brother did something the other night, and it had to be huge since Sakura really wasn't the kind of person to miss trainings like that.

If only she was there, he would have been having a decent sparring session right now. Instead he is reduced to standing to the side and taking a listen, while Naruto and his mentor blabbed on about God knows what.

The only thing that was giving him some solace right now was the fact that Orochimaru who had been walking with the toad Sanin when the two crossed the training grounds on their way to God knows where; chose to leave after listening to the first part of the conversation. The snake man simply sauntered away, which was great since he gave Sasuke the creeps. Not that he'd ever admit to that.

The young Uchiha almost rolled his eyes, as Naruto broke into yet another fit of chatter about his date last night.

He really was tempted to roll his eyes. That simple mocking action would feel so good. But nah, he was an Uchiha and Uchiha don't under any circumstance even entrain the possibility of doing something so outrageous as using a facial expression. Unforgivable.

"So you dressed up like a cat." Jiraiya surmised scratching his chin appreciatively.

"I'd like to think of it more like a tiger." Naruto said proudly.

The toad Sanin nodded.

"That makes all the difference." The Sanin said wisely and Sasuke barely restrained himself from face palming. Technically face palming isn't a facial expression. Maybe he'd try it sometime when he's alone.

Naruto grinned.

"I'm telling you Ero-senin it was the longest date ever. We walked around together, we had drinks, ice cream and I even won her the best stuffed animal thingy ever; a stuffed toad." The blonde ranted.

"Well that's good taste right there my boy." He said appreciatively. "Saku-chan sure knows what she's talking about." He added smiling brightly.

Ah, Sakura. Now Sasuke was upset again. Not that he stopped being upset.

"She's the best." Naruto declared happily. "Best advice ever."

"Well having sex with her would have been a very good ice breaker." Jiraiya said crossly. His advice would have worked too damn it. "I am just saying."

Naruto just looked speculatively at his mentor.

Jiraiya coughed. "So, what's your next step?" He questioned.

Naruto gave him a blank look.

"What's your plan for the next date?" the lecherous Sanin elaborated.

Naruto's face lit up.

"Oh. Well I have the perfect plan for that one." He declared. "I just bought the perfect outfit."

"Outfit?"

"Yah. Well last time I was a tiger, I can't do it twice."

"Sure, sure, you should always stay innovative to satisfy your lady." The Sanin said thoughtfully.

Yup, Sasuke'll definitely try face palming.

Naruto nodded fervently.

"Next time I'll be a toad."

"Great!" Jiraiya declared happily.

"I have the outfit behind that tree over there, wanna see it?"

"We have training, Dobe." Sasuke finally decided to interfere. He already suffered enough when he had to accompany Naruto while the blonde tried on different animal costumes. Man his life was tough.

"I'll just show it to him Teme. Just a sec." Naruto said enthusiastically as he walked to the other end of the clearing.

Sasuke watched as the two reached the giant tree.

"Hey, where's my frog suit?" Naruto screamed.

"Someone stole it." Jiraiya concluded.

"No one would steal such a thing." Sasuke said, walking over to them. He really wanted to get this over with.

"Are you kidding me, it's a genuine frog." Naruto screamed.

"What does that even mean?" Sasuke questioned sourly. "Dobe, no one cares about your frog costume."

"You stole it, didn't you!" Naruto accused.

Sasuke just glared at his friend. How ridiculous could one person be?

In their midst Jiraiya just stood watching calmly.

"Admit it." Naruto pushed on.

"Why would I steal such a thing?"

"Because you're jealous of me and Hinata-chan." The blonde accused.

Of all the ridiculous things Naruto could have said, Sasuke decided that this took the cake.

"Dobe….." He started but trailed off as Naruto's eyes softened and his expression changed.

"Ohhh… Teme…" He said in a low tenor. "I know it is hard for you to accept that you have to share me with someone else. But that's life you know. And don't you worry, you won't lose me." The future Hokage said comfortingly.

Jiraiya grinned as Sasuke's blood pressure hit an all time high.

"I don't care if you…."

"You don't have to be brave Teme…."

"You….."

"I care about you too." Naruto said putting a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"You should have been more attentive to him, my boy. I never ignored Orochimaru even though I am always surrounded by the ladies." The Sanin advised and Sasuke just knew that he was encouraging Naruto just to mess with him.

Naruto nodded understandingly.

"I know, Ero-Senin." He said desolately. "So, S….. S….. S…. Sasuke… Ahem… How about you let me buy you a nice dinner." The blonde offered, putting an incredible amount of effort into saying Sasuke's name. "Umm, of course I don't have any money on me, or at home. So … You might have to pay." He finished with a hopeful smile.

Sasuke glared, but before he could open his mouth, he was startled to find an arm wrap around his shoulder.

For a split second he thought it was Naruto, and that the blonde actually lost it. However, on second inspection, he realized that it wasn't his blonde teammate, and that said teammate alongside his mentor were gaping at whoever was standing so familiarly beside him.

Turning slightly, and rather cautiously Sasuke froze for the very first time in his life, as his eyes fixated on a familiar green frog suit enrobing an even more familiar snake looking Sanin.

Slit eyes were visible underneath the suit, and the Sanin's long black locks were also visible, other than that, the creepy man was completely enshrouded in green.

"Orochimaru." Jiraiya's calm, albeit slightly amused tenor echoed, reminding Sasuke that he should figure out how to react soon. This is because, while his forever impassive face made for a nice camouflage, he truly was shocked, and he had to do or say something soon if he didn't want anyone to realize the extent of his shock.

His shock however, augmented exponentially a second later, when a very familiar hissing like voice, echoed from right beside him, "Sasuke-kun… I am your boyfriend. Let's go home." The Sanin said evenly.

Again Naruto and Jiraiya gaped, while Sasuke valiantly prevented himself from turning around and punching the man in the face, as he forcefully removed his arm from his shoulder, and started walking away.

"Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru called after Sasuke in a completely toneless voice, before he turned to look at Naruto. "Your trick doesn't work." He said evenly, referring to the whole dress up in an animal costume to lure the one you love in and make them comfortable. "I'll go drug him." He finished producing a transparent spray canister containing a yellow liquid and proceeding to waddle after Sasuke dressed in his frog outfit.

One more second and both Naruto and Jiraiya were spasming with laughter in the midst of the training ground.

.

Sakura closed the door and stepped back into the lab with a contemplative look on her face. This was the third report she's gotten that day of people passing out after accidentally bumping into a giant frog.

She would have been interested any other time, but as it stands, she really didn't have the energy to care about what bizarre things were taking place around Konoha.

She had locked herself in the lab ever since the morning. That's what she did when she wanted time to think. She just camps in the lab and starts working on different samples, antidotes and poisons.

The analysis always takes her mind off of things enough for her to be able to clear her thoughts.

And right now, she was isolating the components of a particularly tricky poison, while Ino napped in an armchair on the far end of the lab.

The blonde really refused to leave her today.

Sakura pondered that with a smile.

She might be generally annoying, but when it comes down to it she was a good friend.

*How about me, I'm good too right?* Inner Sakura questioned hopefully.

*Just annoying.* Sakura replied, before shifting her attention away from her inner and back to the sample. The last thing she wanted was a conversation with her inner. Now that would be just like facing her demons and she really wasn't in the mood for that.

*He's a vampire not a demon.* Inner Sakura said haughtily, and Sakura ignored her.

No, she really didn't want to think about it.

*But you're upset, shouldn't you try to figure out…*

*No.* Sakura said in finality.

Inner Sakura sighed.

"I finally found you." Came an easy tenor that caused Sakura to jump and land on her feet in a ready position.

"Kakashi-sensei." She said in relief. "Why are you sneaking up on me?"

"My apologies, Sakura-chan." The man said rubbing his neck. "I didn't mean to startle you." He added as he took a seat on a lab stool, opposite from Sakura and her microscope.

Sakura sat back down.

"Ano, sensei, shouldn't you be in training?" She questioned, it was still far too early for his legendary training session to be over.

"I am here to ask you the same thing." He said in his trademark unassuming tone, and from beneath his mask Sakura could see a concerned smile.

She sighed.

"I am sorry, Kakashi-sensei. I just have a lot on my mind today."

"This is a first for you, Sakura-chan. You never missed one of my trainings before. At least not willingly." He explained. "I would just like you to know that I am here for you." The copy ninja finished in a fatherly tone, as he produced his small book and shifted his eyes to it.

Normal people would take this as a gesture that he doesn't really care to listen. But Sakura knew better, she knew that Kakashi was only paying his full attention when that book was in his hands. How he does it, however, is beyond her.

The girl smiled.

"I don't really know what's bothering me, sensei." She said earnestly. "It's something that I should have expected to happen, yet I'm still very upset about."

Kakashi inclined his head to the side.

"Is it about your relationship with Sasuke-kun?" He questioned in a smooth tenor.

Sakura grinned.

"I know for a fact, sensei that you couldn't have believed that me and Sasuke have a relationship, not for a second." She said cleverly.

The masked man smiled and weaved a hand through silver locks, indicating that her analysis was spot on.

"It seemed rather farfetched." He admitted.

"Yah, we were just trying to teach his brother a lesson." She said simply. This was the first person other than Ino that she's told. But it was her sensei so she really had no qualms about fessing up to him. The man was like a father to her.

"This sounds very dangerous." He said wisely, as he flipped a page on his book.

Sakura was really thankful for the fact that her sensei always takes things coolly, he never overreacts or yells or anything. He just sits calmly and soaks it all in.

"I know." She said desolately.

His eyes now shifted to his student.

"Did he hurt you?" He questioned, and Sakura could easily detect the hint of concern if not anger buried in his otherwise calm tone.

She shook her head, and Kakashi relaxed, returning his eyes back to the book.

"It's just that…" She started but didn't know what to say.

"I just…" She tried again.

"I mean…" And again.

Kakashi raised his eyes to her again.

"I just don't know sensei. It's just all very strange." She declared. "I knew from the beginning that he was going to try and scam me into believing that he likes me."

Kakashi nodded.

"That sounds plausible." He concurred. "What is the problem then?" He questioned.

She took a second to think.

"That he's trying to scam me into believing that he likes me. I mean how horrible could a person be, to deceive someone like that." She rambled and couldn't help her voice rising a bit.

Kakashi's eyes studied her for a second.

"You are upset because he is trying to deceive you." He concluded.

"And I know that I shouldn't be upset about it. I mean, that's what I signed up for and it's not like I fell for it or anything." She explained.

Kakashi regarded her for another long second.

"Are you sure?" He questioned.

Sakura regarded her sensei confusedly.

"Sure of what?"

"Sure that you haven't fallen, Sakura-chan." He elaborated, and Sakura's eyes flew open as she shot to her feet, not even knowing why or what she was going to say.

*Finally.* Inner Sakura declared fist bumping the air, as Sakura hyperventilated, getting ready to deny this like her life depended on it.

.

"You know what's so sad, little cousin." Shisui declared as he walked out of Itachi's bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and another in his hands as he dried his hair.

Itachi who was sitting at his desk wearing a pair of white sweatpants said nothing, but merely flipped to another paper and started writing something.

Not that Shisui was about to be deterred by that. He knew Itachi was listening. His cousin was always listening. He just couldn't help it.

Stepping in front of the mirror and flinging the towel that covered his head onto Itachi's bed, Shisui grinned at his reflection, completely ignoring the cold glare Itachi was now throwing him for flinging a wet towel onto his bed.

"I am never going to heaven, am I?" He questioned in a somber tone with his smile still in place.

"Remove the towel." Itachi said levelly, completely ignoring his cousin's remark.

"I mean it, Itachi, I am never going to heaven. Doesn't that concern you at all?" He said, eyes not leaving his reflection for a second. "I mean, it has to be a huge sin to look **this **good." He finished, running a hand through his untamed dark locks, while he winked at his reflection, and threw in a winning smile for good measures.

"Remove the towel, Shisui." Itachi declared crossly, as his keen eyes traced the water now seeping out of the towel and onto his beloved black silken sheets.

Shisui sighed.

"Fine." He gave in. "I'll remove the towel, if you're that concerned about it."

And just like that, the elder Uchiha turned to his genius cousin and proceeded to swiftly remove the towel that covered his waist.

"Ta-da!" He declared with a wolfish grin.

Itachi remained unimpressed, as he raised an eyebrow at his cousin. "I don't see why you're flaunting." The Uchiha heir said haughtily.

Shisui pouted.

"Hey, this is quite impressive." He declared, a little offended, as he referred to his endowment.

"Hn." Was Itachi's reply, as he gracefully got to his feet.

Now, being an Uchiha himself, Shisui didn't need a translator to tell him that this 'Hn' meant: 'no it isn't.'

And before Shisui could retaliate against this blatant insult to his precious manliness, he had to move to try and avoid a perfectly aimed, rolled up, wet towel, which was travelling at an insane speed towards his head.

He dodged it at the very last second; knowing full well that if Itachi was in fact aiming for him, dodging wouldn't have been a possibility.

And just as Shisui expected, the towel made it past him, and was caught by the new arrival in Itachi's room.

"Hey, what ever happened to knocking before you walk in on a man and his naked cousin playing doge ball." Shisui said in a playful tenor.

The man raised an eyebrow as he walked past the balcony and into the room, with the towel still in hand.

"Don't put that on his sheets, or he'll kill us both." The elder Uchiha advised as he covered himself up with his waist towel, while Itachi resumed his seat behind his desk, his onyx orbs scanning the new comer carefully.

"How can I help you, Hatake-san?" The Uchiha questioned in monotone.

"I have something quite urgent to discuss with you, Uchiha-Taicho." Came Kakashi's unwavering reply.

The two regarded each other, as Shisui turned his attention back to the mirror to take one final look at his fine self before he is dragged into this sure to be tedious conversation.

.

**A Few Weeks Later: **

She should be happy. Really. She should be very happy.

Who in their right mind wouldn't be?

It would appear like she's won.

How else could you explain him not attempting to ruin her life for more than two weeks?

Yes, it has been a long time since the day he attempted to kiss her. And ever since that day, things have been calm.

*Too calm.* Inner Sakura said desolately.

But it doesn't matter, because this was her life, her normal life, just the way it should be.

She'd get up early and go to training, then she'd make her way to the hospital. And now and then she'd go with her team on a mission.

Everything was right with her world. It really was.

But of course, she has her class to teach. And even though he hadn't attended ever since the incident; it's all good. It's not like she goes to each class expecting him to be sitting there silently goading her and then ends up getting utterly disappointed at his absence or anything. And it's really not like she flinched a few days ago when Sasuke came to visit her at the hospital because for a second there she thought he was someone else.

No, not at all.

She was fine.

Everything was fine.

Hell, there was nothing wrong with her life. And if anything drove her to thinking of him, it was the fact that she was curious as to why he just disappeared like that.

Even Sasuke was apprehensive about that one. Yet a few days ago, he got over his apprehension and did a mental happy dance, as he declared to Sakura that his brother seems to have lost all interest in them.

That made her happy. It really did.

And now they'd only have to pretend to be dating for a few more days, just to continue proving their point, and then they'll call it quits and Sasuke could give his brother gloating pointed glares for weeks in celebration of his victory.

How amazing is that.

*I'm miserable.*

*Ditto.*

.

Sakura opened her eyes, took in the sight before her and closed them once more.

It just seemed more befitting for her to have her eyes closed after such a sight. It seemed more like a dream than anything else. For how else could you explain the sight of Naruto, Jiraiya and Orochimaru standing above her bed with mugs in their hands, as they peer over her and converse with one another.

Definitely a dream.

She opened her eyes again because she thought she heard her name being called.

This time the dream Naruto was inches away from her face.

She closed them again though.

Honestly, what was wrong with her mind, what ever happened to the good old days when it used to replay the 'almost kiss' with Itachi over and over again, while conveniently ignoring the 'almost' part.

"Maybe we should pour some water on her." She heard the dream Naruto's voice echo.

Well at least her mind knows how to spin a realistic Naruto. This sure does seem like the kind of idiotic thing he'd say.

"This is so cold my boy, doing something like that to such a beautiful lady is unacceptable." The dream Jiraiya reprimanded.

"Well, I could pour some tea instead; my tea is not cold yet." Naruto reasoned.

Yup, her mind knew him too well. Even half asleep and somehow dreaming with her eyes closed; Sakura rolled her eyes.

The dream Jiraiya's answer was cut off though, when both he and Naruto exclaimed, "What!" And then Jiraiya added, "What do you think you're doing…" In a concerned tenor.

At the same time, Sakura felt her bed dip.

*Wow, such a realistic dream!* She mentally exclaimed. *It's just like my bed is moving. Oh, someone's behind me….*

*Yah, someone's cuddling with you.* Inner Sakura bit snappily. *And you know what, idiot; if this were a dream it would have been the hot captain, because I wouldn't allow it any other way. But as it's furthest away from him, I would suggest you consider the possibility that this is reality and you're spooning with Orochimaru as we speak.*

Sakura's eyes flew open, as she gawked at Naruto's equally stunned expression.

"No." Orochimaru deadpanned, as his snake like arms wrapped around the girl from behind, and Naruto gasped. "Sasuke-kun is more suitable." He said in an emotionless voice before he flew off the bed on instinct, because before anyone knew it, Sakura sat up, got free of his grip and aimed a Chakra laden fist at a critical point in his body.

Anyone else would have been a goner by now, but since he was a Sanin after all, he made it out unscathed.

"Good morning, Saku-chan." Jiraiya said, as he sat himself down on the edge of her bed like this was the most normal thing to do. "I hope we didn't disturb you." He added smoothly.

Sakura blinked at him, before aiming a pissed off look at Naruto.

"He has great news for you." Naruto explained hurriedly. He had much smaller chances of avoiding Sakura's fists. "I had to let him in."

"How about him?" She questioned referring to Orochimaru, who was standing calmly in a corner of the room, and occasionally allowing his tongue to dart out and skim his lower lip. "Why did you allow him into my apartment? INTO MY BEDROOM!"

"Ahem, sorry?" Naruto said worriedly.

"I'm afraid that's my fault, Saku-chan. We're sorta a package deal at the moment, since we're working on an incredible project. Actually, that project of ours is what I am here to talk to you about." The toad Sanin declared professionally.

Sakura gave him a confused look, as she marveled at the bizarreness of her life, and absently thanked her lucky stars that she was too tired yesterday to change out of her battle gear before she went to bed. The last thing she wanted was to be wearing lingerie in the presence of a lech and a creep.

"What project?" She finally managed. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, but my movie of course." Jiraiya said happily.

"Your movie?"

"Yes, my Icha Icha movie."

"You made that thing into a movie?" She said, unable to keep the outrage from lacing her voice. "You actually made a porn movie?" She concluded.

He shook his head.

"Not porn, this is a work of literature, I wrote the screenplay just for the purposes of this movie and I assure you it is not porn. Actually, Saku-chan, you can see for yourself, since I am here to invite you to the screening tomorrow night." He declared proudly.

"Not interested." She said without missing a beat. He could say it's not a porno all he likes but she knows better.

"But you're the guest of honor, Sakura-chan." Naruto whined.

Sakura blinked.

"Well, that's nice, but I really don't feel like….."

"Please, Saku-chan… It'd mean a lot to me." Jiraiya pleaded, and Sakura concluded that that's where Naruto learned how to jut his bottom lip out like that and make his eyes look all puppy like.

She sighed.

"Fine. I'll come." She said in defeat.

Jiraiya beamed, getting to his feet.

"Great. I knew I could count on you Saku-chan." He declared as he put down his coffee mug, actually it was her coffee mug, and started walking to the door.

"Hey, wait, why was Orochimaru-sama working with you on this?" She questioned as the two Sanins reached the door.

"He is my casting director; he personally interviewed all the applicants for male lead." Jiraiya declared.

"None of them looked like Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru pitched.

"How about the female leads?" She questioned, opting to ignore the weirdness regarding Sasuke and the mental images connoted with men being interviewed by Orochimaru for a porno.

"Naturally, I interviewed those, Saku-chan." The toad Sanin declared with a wink as he walked out of her bedroom door.

*Oh good God have mercy on all the poor aspiring actors who were traumatized in the making of this porno.* Sakura declared mentally.

*Amen.* Inner said solemnly.

And just like that the two Sanins were out leaving a still sleepy Sakura with a grinning Naruto.

"Is this great news or what?" He said cheerfully.

She smiled as a reaction to his toothy grin.

"We have very different definitions of great news."

"Oh, but you're the guest of honor in the best production ever…."

"You spend too much time with the creeps. I am actually worried." She deadpanned. "Why am I the guest of honor anyway?" She questioned unable to help herself.

Naruto paused for a second, his smile turning apprehensive.

"They said it'd be good publicity for the movie to have you as guest of honor.."

"Why?"

"Well that magazine article said you were dating four men at the same time, and Jiraiya-sama said something about you having the qualifications of a very good porn-star… Or something like that… I don't really remember…. He said gang**** or something… I don't know….."

For the rest of the morning Sakura's neighbors were treated to the sound of a screaming Naruto pleading for mercy. Some of them though, took it as a sign that Sakura has reached a new milestone in her slutty, Four Uchiha dating, porno making career.

* * *

**So, if you guys have been with me during my last ItaSaku story, you'd know that near the end I stopped posting chapters for a while, while I finished writing the last few chapters of the story. **

**I just like having it all ready before posting the last chapters. **

**I considered doing this with this story as well, but I just couldn't help posting this chapter. **

**I hope you guys liked it ;)**

**Next chapter will have all the answers… It shall all be revealed….**

**Let me know what you think. And what you wanna know.**

**Please Review. **


	16. Chapter 16

**It feels like forever since I last updated. And I am honestly very sorry about that. I had to write the remaining chapters before posting. And the good news is that I have officially finished writing this story. So from now on, there would be no need for delay and I'll probably update twice a week to make up for all the delays. I hope you guys forgive me. **

**And for some reason I can't reply to the reviews on the last chapter, so many thanks to the wonderful people who reviewed last time. You guys are the reason I managed to finish this. **

**Much love ;)**

* * *

Sakura hissed as they stood on either side of her. One of them grinned happily as he directed his eyes forwards and slid a hand around her waist. On her other side, the other glared at her making her feel much more awkward than was humanly possible, before his hands crawled across her shoulders and his attention shifted to the people in front of them. This one didn't smile though. Man if he had smiled she would have ran, this man was creepy enough without all the smiles. Instead he gave an ambivalent look that was more scary than anything. Collectively, the camera men who were surrounding the two Sanin's and the medic took a step backwards.

"You're scaring them, Orochimaru." Jiraiya whined. "Give'em a: 'Come Hither' look, will ya? Like this." He advised, demonstrating by pouting seductively at the camera and tilting his head a little down and to the side, while slightly raising an eyebrow.

Some of the people surrounding the red carpet squealed, as the cameras flashed away.

A second later, all the cheers died out when Orochimaru imitated Jiraiya's expression to the letter.

Sakura stifled a grin as people gaped at the scene.

*This is just odd.* Inner commented as the camera's reluctantly snapped back to life.

For her part, Sakura was stiff. Really stiff. She couldn't claim to be doing any better than Orochimaru.

The girl wasn't used to all this attention, and while a part of her felt flattered at being treated like she was a star or something. Another was more apprehensive than anything.

*I shouldn't have come here.* She mentally whined.

*It's not like you had anything better to do with your time.* Her inner shot crossly. *If moping was a sport, you'd have a gold medal wrapped around your neck at the moment.*

Sakura sighed, plastering a smile on her face, and trying to ignore the fact that she was in a Sanin sandwich.

"Guest of Honor, look that way." A photographer shouted and she complied, with a tilt of her head and a dazzling smile thrown in just for the benefit for Ino who was watching from the sidelines and palpably sizzling with jealousy.

At Sakura's smile, the paparazzi collectively beamed, and moved closer to the trio, instructing them to move around and switch positions, as they posed in front of a giant Icha Icha banner.

*Better enjoy this, since I've already gotten myself into it.* She pondered, doing a pretty good impression of the smoldering look herself, as Jiraiya beamed his approval, and some people shouted her name to direct her attention to them.

Well, they may all be porno fans but they were cheering for her now, as she posed in her slinky short black dress and matching black platforms.

*Who am I to deny the fans what they want.*

*Oh, get off your high horse, you didn't even wanna come.*

Well, sure she didn't. She had every intention not to come. How could she after hearing Jiraiya's reasons for wanting her here.

But as it stands, she was here and that was courtesy of the fact that Ino dragged her, after stuffing her in these clothes, splashing her face with makeup and drawing her hair up into a messy bun.

*She too was bored of your moping.* Her alter ego snapped at her.

Sakura sighed. *No, it's just that she knew that I was the guest of honor and wanted to get star treatment by tagging along.* The medic corrected, as she gestured for her friend to join her and the two Sanins in the lime light.

Ino grinned, as she flashed her hair and sauntered over like a true and tried star.

The paparazzi snapped away, as Ino stood next to Sakura between the Sanins.

"I love you, Forehead." Her friend declared as she played it up for the camera. "This is so cool." She declared clinging to Orochimaru and not even caring that it was him as long as she gets to be on camera and on a red carpet to top it all off.

Sakura smiled, while Jiraiya waved for the photographers to stop, and started leading the ladies into the movie theater where the screening was about to start.

"I am so happy you could make it, Saku-chan." He cooed. "Look at how excited the fans were." He added proudly.

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Yah, it's not every day that they get to meet a potential porn star." She shot bitterly.

The Sanin gave a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"He told you that, hah?" He concluded.

She nodded.

"And you can bet that Shishou would hear about it." She threatened. Yes, when she tells Tsunade about what her ex-teammate said, she probably will snap and throw him out of a window. That's the power of having a ridiculously powerful mentor.

"Oh, come on Saku-chan. I am sorry." The toad Sanin backpedaled, he really didn't wanna get beaten up by Tsunade for calling her apprentice a porn star in the making.

Sakura sighed as they made their way into the screening hall, and her eyes took in the incredible number of people who have shown up.

"Come on ladies, I'll show you to your VIP booth." The Sanin said suavely, as he led them up a set of stairs.

"Wohoo… we get the VIP booth." Ino said cheerfully.

"Are you gonna sit with us?" Sakura questioned.

"Yup, me, Orochimaru here and Naruto." The Sanin declared in his easy tenor. "Me and Orochimaru will be right with you after we're done greeting the rest of the guests." He added, as he opened the giant golden door and led Sakura and Ino into a very luxurious little booth directly facing the screen and at the same time giving them a view of the entire theater since it was one floor above.

The booth had five chairs, and Naruto was already lounging in one of them.

"Sakura-chan." He declared happily, as Sakura nodded at Jiraiya who turned around to leave.

Sakura smiled.

"I'm so glad you're here." Her forever positive friend cooed.

"Well, I have been kinda enjoying the star treatment." She admitted. "Sorry about your nose." She said apologetically.

"What happened to his nose?" Ino questioned as she surveyed his bandaged face.

"Sakura-chan broke it yesterday." Naruto said like it was no big deal. And it really wasn't, he can't really enumerate the times she has done just that. He was just happy to have survived her assault with just a broken nose and a few bruises.

"Good." Ino said, commending her friend's handy work, before her attention was drawn to the theater below them.

"Man this is a huge theater." She declared appreciatively.

"And a huge turnout." Sakura added.

"Well, Ero-Senin is a genius." Naruto said boastfully and the two girls rolled their eyes.

"Nope, it's just that those people are all perverts." Sakura corrected.

Naruto pouted.

"This movie will be amazing and not a porno at all. You'll see." He declared in his trademark, uncannily confident tenor.

Sakura sighed.

"We'll see."

"Oh, there are two other VIP booths." Ino remarked, realizing that there were two sky booths erected on either side of them.

Sakura who was busy watching from above, as Jiraiya welcomed his guests and escorted them to their seats; shifted her eyes to the booths.

"Ours is the most important." Naruto corrected. "It's where Ero-Senin will be sitting."

Again the two girls rolled their eyes.

From the corner of her eye Sakura caught the occupants of the other VIP balcony seats on their right, as they walked in.

It really was no surprise when she saw very familiar faces. Really, those guys probably account for half the sales of Icha Icha all by themselves.

Kakashi met her eyes and gave her an easy smile, as she and Naruto waved at him. By his side, their school instructor Iruka seemed a lot more fazed at being seen here by them, however he still managed a wave paired with a small blush when Naruto screamed his name for everyone to hear. And the last occupant of the balcony booth was none other than Genma Shiranui. Now Sakura has never really interacted with the guy, but they always happened to frequent the same places, so she saw him a lot. And she knew that he was one of the Hokage's elite guards, which is practically why they met a lot. She also knew that he worked with Anbu, but she wasn't really sure about that.

Ino and Naruto waved at Genma, who shifted the senbon that is ever present in his mouth to the other side, and gave them a crooked grin as he waved at them, making sure to make eye contact with Sakura as well, causing the girl to give him a small wave and a smile.

The three men assumed their seats, as Ino shifted her attention to the theater below them.

"Look at that packed theater; I bet a lot of those guys are really handsome and also single. Maybe we could go down there and mingle with the commoners after the movie ends." Ino suggested.

Sakura shifted her eyes from Ino, to Naruto who has been brainwashed by the perverted Sanins and finally to her two senseis chatting with Genma; before sighing audibly; "I'm surrounded by perverts." She declared in a resigned voice.

*My kinda scene.* Inner cooed.

Ino rolled her eyes.

"With that attitude, Forehead, you'll never get a boyfriend." Ino berated.

"Ah, right, when are you and Teme gonna end your…." Naruto cleared his throat before saying, "relationship."

Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"We don't know yet, but we'll probably keep it up for a while just to make sure that he really did lose all hope and isn't just waiting for the right time." She explained.

"Oh, speaking of Teme…." Naruto declared getting to his feet and starting to frantically wave at someone behind her.

Sakura turned around just in time to see Sasuke walking into the balcony booth to their left.

"TEME!" Naruto screamed. "OVER HERE TEME! WE'RE NEIGHBOURS." He screamed again at a volume that caused silence to descend on the place as everyone in the main theater looked up at the manic balcony seat occupants.

Sakura face palmed, and Sasuke envied her for getting to do that, as he actively ignored the blonde and took his seat.

Naruto was still jumping, waving and screaming in an attempt to get Sasuke's attention. After all, if he has already noticed him, why would he have sat down without waving? So by God he will stay at it until his best friend/arch enemy acknowledges him.

The medic, however, had better things to worry about at the moment.

Things akin to the fact that her heart was pounding like a drum, and her adrenaline started rushing around her body, putting her every cell on high alert, as if she was gonna have to fight in mere seconds.

Sakura shook her head.

It was the anticipation that started when she saw Shisui casually walk in, turn around and grin at her, followed shortly by a very familiar figure. A figure she hadn't seen in weeks, a figure that she tried very hard to block out of her mind and tell herself that he never really was there.

But truth of the matter is, he was standing right there a very small distance away from her.

Itachi stood there for a long moment, talking to the Sanins.

And Sakura couldn't help but let her eyes drink him in. It was a thirst the likes of which she has never felt before. She was both happy and anxious as her eyes roamed over his frame and her memory came to life with all the stored images of him.

No, it wasn't a dream. He really did come into her life. He really did stand so close to her, on that night and yes, she did see his eyes darken in that way that made her heart do a triple cartwheel and never settle again.

And she really was seeing him now, dressed in dark dress-pants, a black silk shirt and a matching suit-jacket

.

She really did tilt her head to the side a bit, to take in the fact that he wasn't wearing a tie and that the first two buttons on his shirt were undone.

Itachi finished his conversation with the two men, who turned to leave, before he himself turned around causing the girl to freeze, thinking that he'll spot her ogling him.

She couldn't look away, though, she was frozen. Now he really was gonna see her look at him, and he was gonna get one of those darkly amused looks in his eyes as he regarded her from a distance. Suddenly, catching her staring at him didn't sound like such a bad idea. He hasn't met her eyes for a while, and much to her surprise, a part of her was aching to meet his eyes again, to see them once more.

But Itachi merely looked right past her. It was as if she wasn't even there, his attention merely shifted to the front as he sat down between Shisui and Sasuke.

Sakura felt faint and she really didn't know why.

And she couldn't help but blush when Shisui who was sitting on Itachi's right, turned to her and gave her one of his wolfish grins before mouthing 'hey kitten'.

She schooled her features into a smile and waved at him.

Suddenly the act of smiling felt like the most taxing act ever.

Absently, she heard Ino and Naruto speak. But she really wasn't listening.

"So, I guess Uchiha-Taicho is a closet pervert as well." Ino surmised.

"Nah, Nah," Naruto shook his head. "Evil-Taicho has been invited here by Jiraiya-sama as well. He's also a guest of honor, alongside Sasuke and Shisui." He explained.

"Still he wouldn't have shown up to something like this if he didn't wanna." Ino surmised. "Which means that Sasuke-kun, has a perverted streak as well." She finished getting up from her chair and screaming, "Wohooooo!"

Naruto regarded her for a second.

"Teme said that he really hates this, but they have to come because of clan duties." He reiterated.

Ino looked a bit deflated.

"Ah, right," She said sitting back down. "Jiraiya-sama is a Sanin; they have to come when he invites them." She concluded.

Naruto nodded.

Sakura however, was in a world of her own.

She really didn't understand what was happening to her. All she knew is that she was sad, very sad.

Soon Jiraiya and Orochimaru slipped into their booth and sat down. All she knew was that they were talking to Ino and Naruto. The four of them were laughing and seemingly enjoying themselves.

A few times she heard her name with an intonation that made her feel an implied need for her to nod and maybe smile.

She did, stretching her face into the gesture, without any intention behind it.

All she could do was marvel as to why she was feeling so desolate.

She couldn't even remember the last time she felt that way. Honestly, it seems like she has never felt that way.

The girl cast a sidelong glance at where Sasuke, Shisui and Itachi were sitting. Shisui was distributing smiles and winks at the girls in the theater below, while both Uchiha brothers were engaging in a rare conversation.

Sakura felt an intense need to listen in, to hear that voice of his once more.

*What the hell is wrong with me!* She roared mentally.

*What the hell indeed.* Her inner said with a disapproving glance.

Sakura stifled a sigh, as the movie theater went dark and the screen came to life. People clapped as the camera panned across a bedroom before zooming in on a huge bed with a man chained to the middle of it, lying fully naked.

Normal people blinked awkwardly, perverts cheered internally, and all the women except for Sakura and Ino, looked away. Ino didn't look away because she was enjoying it, while for her part; Sakura really wasn't paying any attention.

Was she really that upset simply because he didn't look at her? Does it really hurt her that he was just acting?

*It's natural. I knew that he was trying to fool me. I knew it. So what if he's ignoring me. That's how it's always been. Before that stupid play he never said one word to me and he never even looked my way. So what if he's back to that. This is the way it's supposed to be. He no longer has an interest in me, since he knows that he can't break me and Sasuke up. So it's done.* She pondered trying to cheer herself up.

*To summarize, he doesn't care about you, never has, never will, he was only playing you, and now he's back in his tower looking down at the likes of you without really taking any notice. You're transparent to him now.* Inner picked up. *Nothing to be upset about, really.*

Sakura looked at her with lifeless emerald eyes.

*Damn it, how clueless could you be?* Inner roared. *Just admit it already…..*

*Admit what? There is nothing to admit….*Sakura snapped angrily, before a loud moan echoed through the speakers, directing Sakura's attention for the first time to the scene before her.

Sakura's eyes cleared, she gawked at the sight of "(*******************)" before blushing a deep shade of crimson and looking away, only to have her eyes fall on her sensei who had his orange book in hand while watching the big screen porno.

Leave it to a mega pervert to read porn while watching porn, *what the hell is wrong with this man?*

Angrily, Sakura shot to her feet, as the sounds of moaning intensified, and the people down stairs in the audience started shifting uncomfortably at the sheer crudeness of the scene.

On the screen, chains rattled and whips lashed, while off screen a Sanin jerked to his feet and assumed a defensive position after almost being thrown off the balcony and onto the main theater by a very angry petite medic.

"You said it wasn't a porno…." She said in a terrifying sweet tenor, as she advanced on him.

A scream echoed from the woman in the movie, as Jiraiya raised both hands.

"Oh, come on Saku-chan, did you really believe that?" He questioned.

Sakura scowled.

*Fair enough.*

"I just didn't think it'd be that….."

"Brilliant…" He said hopefully.

"Graphic, shocking, crude, distasteful, insulting, provocative….." She listed, before glaring at him and turning around on the spot.

Jiraiya blinked at her retreating figure, before the sounds of heavy breathing snapped his attention back to the screen.

Honestly no one even noticed Sakura's little outburst, not even Ino and Naruto, "Wow." Both blondes said in unison.

"_Oh, my God, you're so strong….."_

"_I know." _

_. _

Outside the movie theater, the girl was greeted by the cool night air. That, had a blissfully soothing effect on her flushed skin.

*Man, that was too much.* Sakura thought in relief.

*Typical virgin behavior.* Her inner said wisely.

*Like you weren't about ready to pass out at that last scene, Oh God.* Sakura rebutted shaking her head as she walked down the street, thankful for the fact that it was rather empty.

*Still, I wouldn't say no to education. I think we should have taken some notes.* Inner suggested.

Sakura glared at her.

*Like you don't wanna do it…" Inner accused.

*No I don't.* Sakura declared.

*Not even with the handsome-Taicho?* The inner teased.

And just like that, images of Itachi once again came unbidden to her mind. It was a cold night like this one when she last talked to him, when he almost kissed her and when music flooded her every sense as she danced with him oblivious to everything but his overwhelming presence.

Sakura sighed.

*shut up.* She ordered her inner. *This is how it should be. It's how it's always been.* She declared. *I don't have time to be thinking about this, I have work to do.*

Inner sighed dramatically.

*Oh, come on, we're not going to the hospital are we?* She whined.

*Since, I have time, I'm gonna pick up the night shift.* She declared.

The alter ego pouted, *But whyyyy? Can't we take our pretty black dress to a bar and see what happens?*

*No.*

Drawing in a deep breath, Sakura headed for the general hospital. Yes, working will take her mind off of things, and until she got to the hospital, she'd enjoy the soothing cool breeze.

*Idiot.*

Sakura didn't really have time to retort to her inner, as her senses detected that someone was coming down the street behind her.

She turned her head slightly to the side to see who it was, and almost gasped in shock, when her eyes scanned a familiar form.

*This is the guy from the auction.* She thought frantically. *The creepy old guy, with the ridiculous hair dye.* She exclaimed.

Inner blanched. *Oh, God, not the creep who was bidding for us…. RUN!*

But things weren't that simple.

Sakura picked up her pace, and as she expected, his steps matched hers, yet he maintained the same distance from her.

Obviously, the man was not just an old geezer; he was a trained old geezer, who was very good at tailing people. If she had been any lesser Kunoichi, she wouldn't have even noticed him, what with his muffled steps and carefully maintained distance.

Suddenly, aware of the fact that she was wearing a dress and not her battle gear, which meant that she had no kunai on her; Sakura turned a corner in an attempt to head for more populated streets rather than continue on the route she would have taken to reach the hospital.

The guy still followed.

Sakura took in a deep breath and completely calmed herself down, emerald eyes shining with the professional determination of someone who has been through a lot.

Her features relaxed as she once again turned a corner.

She couldn't detect anyone else other than that man around. Which wasn't surprising since it was rather late and this area of town wasn't really highly populated.

This means that finding a place with lots of people was very implausible.

In that case, Sakura would have to lose him.

And for all she knew, the man still was unaware of the fact that she noticed him. This could give her a very good opening if she played her cards right.

With that in mind, she turned another corner.

Once she was out of his sight, she knew that she had a few seconds until he covers the carefully maintained distance between them and reach her. Thus, she quickly masked her Chakra and ran towards the nearest building.

Once there, she opened the door to the apartment building and dashed in.

It took him less than two seconds to cover the distance, but that was all Sakura needed to hide and completely mask all signs of her presence.

The girl stood back and watched as the creep passed by the apartment building, his eyes turning wary as he scanned the street for any signs of her.

He closed his eyes for a second, obviously searching for her presence, and when he couldn't find it, he sped up down the street and disappeared.

*Should I have fought him?* she pondered. Inner just gave her a blank expression. *Given my lack of knowledge about his intentions as well as level of power, not to mention the disadvantage I'm at since I don't have any weapons on me, I think this was for the best.* She concluded.

*The creep was probably at the theater, and saw you leaving, so he decided to go after you and corner you or something.* Inner pitched getting angry.

Sakura nodded, pushing the door open and stepping into the street after making sure that she couldn't detect his presence anywhere around.

Sakura decided to hurry, as she didn't really wanna run into this man again.

Thus, she took off her stilettos, sighed, and started walking barefoot down the street. It might be painful to walk this way, but it was faster and much less noisy.

Walking fast, Sakura kept her senses on alert, making sure that no one was around, before she rounded another corner.

*Almost there.* She assured herself. *And no signs of the creep.* She added blissfully. *This day might end well, after all.*

Extending her senses once more to make sure that he wasn't there, the medic sped along and rounded yet another corner.

However, much to her unbridled shock, she walked into something. Well, she walked into someone, before falling down due to the force of the impact and landing on the floor.

Sakura was in shock.

She was sure that no one was there.

Even now, she couldn't feel any signs of Chakra. And hell if she wasn't one of the best when it comes to Chakra control and Chakra detection. So how was that even possible?

Raising her head, Sakura fully expected to see the creepy guy from the auction, however, her eyes widened when she found herself staring at an exposed torso.

Sakura blinked, shifting her eyes further upwards, and taking in the appearance of the white haired man in front of her.

He was tall, very tall, and he wore a black cape-like robe with red clouds on it. His expression was rather derisive as he shifted the large scythe like contraption he had in his hand, so that it lay on his shoulder.

"Watch where you're going, bitch." He spat.

Sakura blinked.

Something about that man was very dangerous.

The medic's eyes picked up on another person, who just stepped out of the shadows to stand beside the big white haired man.

Sakura was shocked when she realized that she has seen this woman before.

Her brain quickly went through different filed memories, before her eyes widened even further.

This was the woman who once accidentally threw a Kunai knife at her, when she was returning from the auction with a stupefied Ino.

"You're that woman from before." Sakura remarked, too shocked to get up.

The woman stared at her wide eyed, seemingly mortified at Sakura's statement.

And at that very same moment, the white haired man's laugh rumbled, as he smacked the woman across the shoulder as an expression of mirth.

The woman's brow twitched in irritation.

"I am not a woman, you distasteful eyesore. While my beauty is ethereal it is nothing but masculine." Her voice echoed, as she stared at Sakura in disdain. Oh wait, **his **voice echoed.

Sakura blinked.

Well, he did sound like a man, but his hair was so blonde, and his eyes so blue and rimmed with black. Granted he was wearing the same black and crimson cloak, but a woman could pull it off. And the way he talked about his beauty really did remind her of Ino. Hell, everything about him reminded her of Ino. They could be twins.

"Are you sure?" She questioned despite herself.

The man/woman twitched, glaring murderously at the girl, while the other doubled over in laughter once more.

"My name is Deidera, un." He said venomously. "And if you say one more word about me being a woman, I will kill you." He added. "Oh, wait," He started once more. "It looks like I'm gonna kill you anyway." He finished with an evil grin.

Sakura's eyes widened, as her senses assured her that this was more dangerous than she thinks.

At Deidara's words, the white haired man's face stretched into an expectant smile, as his eyes dripped with what Sakura easily identified as bloodlust.

Sakura shot to her feet, retreated a few steps and took on a defensive stance.

"So, that's her, huh?" The white haired man questioned, his expression haunting and completely unmoved by her actions. "I wonder what her screams will sound like." He added with a hungry look on his face, he licked his lips. "I could just taste your blood." He offered, now addressing Sakura. "Jashin will really like it, you will satisfy us both."

Sakura gulped, before steadying herself.

She has been fighting for years, and normally she doesn't really get scared. She has seen a lot from an early age that it took so much more than just words to scare her, and being alone with two crazy men, really wasn't a first for her.

Yet, because of her experience, she knew that she better trust her instincts, and her instincts were screaming at her at the moment. She has to be serious, because those men were the real deal, she just knew it.

Her stance quickly turned offensive, more of a ready than a 'ready to run' stance, as her eyes gleamed with determination.

Those men obviously are going to go after her for some reason. But at the moment, she didn't have time to question the reasons, she just needed to fight, a physical brawl after which she could do all the thinking she wants.

A silent agreement passed between the two men, and Sakura felt their killer intent.

She moved a second before they had her surrounded.

They looked up to see her standing on a first floor balcony.

They collectively grinned, before the blonde jumped upwards and attempted to hit her, Sakura parried, jumping down only to find the white haired one in front her.

She avoided his scythe at the very last second, and aimed a chakra laden punch at a critical part of his ribcage. Her trained hands connected, and she felt his rips crack. A crack that proceeded to make its way towards his lung and puncture it, like she intended.

Sakura's eyes gleamed, yet she knew that something was off, since the man hadn't even attempted to avoid the punch.

She stepped back widening the distance between them, as her eyes flashed to his.

The look on his face made her blood run cold.

He was breathing heavily and his expression was manic, yet he wore a smile that indicated that he was loving the way that felt.

"Wonderful…" He declared, licking the blood that dripped from the corner of his mouth. "Blissful." He added and Sakura had to take a second to steady her heart.

Silently she looked for the blonde, keeping the crazy person in her line of vision.

He was nowhere to be found.

Sakura's mind was spinning; this could only mean that he was waiting to attack her when she was at her most vulnerable.

She didn't have much time to think, as the white haired man was suddenly inches away from her.

Sakura dodged the giant scythe at the very last second. This time she jumped upwards, landed on the giant thing and quickly ran forwards, kicking the man in the face and sending him flying across the ally.

The Kunoichi knew that he didn't really try to dodge, but she didn't care. Without hesitating for a second, Sakura launched herself forwards, picked up one of her stilettos from the floor where she dropped them, and used its pointy heel as a Kunai.

The man who was just getting to his feet after Sakura's kick was suddenly immobilized. He cursed out loud when he felt the makeshift weapon lodge itself into his spine.

Falling to his knees, he looked up at the medic who was now standing above him, she had the luxury to relax a bit since she knew that no matter how powerful that man was; right now, he was completely immobile, courtesy of the well positioned shoe heel in his back.

"Jashin…." The man cursed. "I will kill you, YOU BITCH." He screamed.

Sakura stepped away from him and tried to block out the stream of insults floating out of his mouth, she had better things to worry about. For example, where is the blonde called Deidera and what the hell is he planning, and why didn't he attack yet.

*Damn it.* Sakura cursed mentally.

She had two alternatives at the moment; either make a run for it, or she could wait for the blonde to come to her. And both sounded horrible. If she ran, then he'll pursue her, and that would put her at a disadvantage. And if she waited, she'd give him enough time to finish whatever he's cooking up and sneak up on her.

What was more horrible was that he was incredibly good at masking his Chakra, that she had no idea how to find him. Not to mention that being in the middle of Konoha, even if it were a lightly populated area; meant that Sakura really couldn't use any of her Chakra enhanced attacks. In such a situation, she probably would have started breaking stuff and tearing down trees and buildings until the man appeared. But she really couldn't risk hurting a civilian or destroying Konoha property.

The girl closed her eyes and opened them, making up her mind.

She was going to go after him. She will find him before he finds her and if he's already following her then she'd lead him into a place of her choosing, not the other way around.

Completely ignoring, the foul mouthed, scythe wielding, masochistic psycho, Sakura stalked forwards.

She didn't feel good about leaving the man behind while he was fully conscious. But she wasn't about to finish him off without knowing who he was, and taking him with her would just slow her down and make her more vulnerable to an attack from the blonde.

Sakura kept walking until she reached another ally; she looked around her, before jumping upwards, having decided to continue the chase from the rooftops.

Yes, she was doing the chasing now, and she was going to find him.

After a few seconds of jumping around buildings, Sakura felt a light spark of Chakra.

She paused.

*This could be a trap.* Inner warned.

Sakura blinked.

*You're right.* She pondered. *But I don't really have any other alternative, but to go.* She explained. *I'll be careful.* she said in finality, before speeding towards the place.

Arriving at the abandoned warehouse, Sakura carefully checked for any types of Chakra traps, before pushing the door open.

The door creaked ominously, and the silence was tangible, as Sakura's steps echoed through the place.

A small candle lit the place and Sakura eyed it speculatively and wasn't at all surprised when the blonde one again stepped out of the shadows to stand before her, at the other end of the vast warehouse.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?" She questioned, her eyes glistening threateningly.

Diedera smiled.

"Deidera." He emphasized. "I already told you that." He added. "And I am here to kill you, if that's no bother, un." He finished obviously entertained.

Sakura scowled.

"Why?" She questioned ignoring his slight sarcasm.

"Why?" He parroted.

"Why do you and your friend want to kill me?" She questioned. Well, she was a Shinobi after all, and she knew for a fact that after all those years of fighting she has amassed a wealth of grudge holding freaks; she just wanted to know just why those particular freaks were after her.

He raised an eyebrow, obviously offended again.

"That monstrosity is not my friend." He corrected. "And Hidan and me have our orders, so why don't you be a dear and take your own life. I have always found suicide to be a beautiful act. Especially when the one committing it is that beautiful." He paused scanning her figure. "Beautiful black dress, beautiful flowing pink hair, mouth slightly open, and a stiff fighting posture, a juxtaposition befitting of a painting; I would recommend a poison or a knife to the heart, so that I can watch you drop to the floor." He advised.

"Who gave you and Hidan those orders?" She questioned, completely ignoring his entire speech.

Deidara scowled.

"You're hopeless, un." He said shaking his head, his blonde locks fluttering around him with the motion. "Do you know what art is?" He asked her, his eyes practically coming to life.

Suddenly all of Sakura's senses were put on high alert, her hackles rising, as her eyes skimmed across the room.

She turned around quickly and tried to open the door.

It was locked somehow, even though she just came through it.

Behind her, Sakura could feel the Chakra building.

"Art…

She infused her hands with as much Chakra as she could and aimed it straight at the door forcing it off of its hinges as it flew outwards.

"Is…

She heard as she started to run out.

"AN EXPLOSION."

His voice echoed, and the medic felt herself being propelled forwards by the sheer force of the explosion behind her.

She was thrown past a fence, that was quickly demolished by the impact, and she rolled on the ground until she came to a stop in the midst of wide field.

Sakura was lying face down on the grass, struggling to assess the size of the damage that she endured. She put both hands on the ground and pushed up, bringing herself into a sitting position, and fully aware of the fact that her left arm and her back were bleeding and her Chakra was running low.

Her emerald eyes focused as she looked up only to see both Deidara and Hidan standing above her.

"You're tougher than I thought, un." Deidara said with a thoughtful expression. "What did you think of the explosion?"

"Screw that." Hidan screamed. "I'll kill the bitch!" He swore, as he raised his scythe upwards preparing to chop her head off.

Sakura directed her Chakra to her hands, legs and knees, as she prepared to launch herself off the floor and away from the terrifying weapon.

Unfortunately, the second she rose from the floor, Deidara was behind her, holding both of her arms in an iron grip, and shifting his body weight so that he was weighing on her back and enchaining her down to the ground, his other arm shot to her neck bowing it forwards, to a perfect angle for Hidan's scythe.

Hidan's eyes widened in anticipation, as he took a step forwards, adjusting to her new position, while Sakura struggled in a futile attempt to break free.

The blonde was strong, too strong and she was caught.

"It's not beautiful, but it needs to be done, un." He said almost apologetically, as Hidan's unwavering scythe moved down.

Sakura's eyes were wide, as she looked upwards at her approaching demise, not knowing what to do.

She closed her eyes, at the very last second, in complete disbelief. This was the end. Just like that.

Sakura's eyes flew open a second later, when the impact she expected didn't come. And she gawked at the scene before her, for Itachi was standing right in front of her with one arm resting firmly on the scythe and effectively blocking it from reaching her neck.

A second later, the Anbu captain moved his hand effortlessly, and with it he moved the scythe and effectively flung Hidan across the field.

His motion was fluid and effortless, yet Hidan was flung with a devastating, almost inhuman force.

"Damn it." She heard Deidara curse from behind her, as his iron grip loosened and he disappeared.

As the girl struggled to keep standing, Sakura noticed a huge white bird, somehow materializing in the midst of the field, as Deidara jumped on it and drew Hidan up by the vast collar of his cape.

*Damn it!* She mentally cursed as she couldn't maintain an upright position any more.

Itachi who was seemingly about to go after them froze on the spot and turned around quickly, catching Sakura before she made contact with the ground.

He rested her on his knees, his arms wrapped firmly yet gently around her.

"Sakura." He intoned, his voice laced with an emotion, that if the girl didn't know any better, she might have labeled as fear

.

Sakura's head rested against his chest.

"I am fine." She assured him in a weak voice.

"You're bleeding." He said in a stern voice.

"It's not a huge cut."

He frowned, and Sakura could feel every muscle in his body tighten.

"What are you doing here anyway?" She questioned. "Weren't you watching a movie? Why should you care what happens to me?" She mumbled, now completely sure that she was half delirious.

Itachi's expression darkened, and if it was at all possible his muscles tightened even more, before his hands snaked under her knees and he pulled her up into his arms.

She winced slightly, looking up at Itachi, whose eyes were cast forwards, his expression darker than she's ever seen it. The man practically looked like he was about to slaughter everyone within a one mile radius. It was daunting.

Sakura gulped, not really understanding how she could be feeling so secure in the arms of a man that is so damn scary.

"You don't understand anything, Sakura."

She was about to ask what he means, but before she knew it, Itachi cast his eyes downwards, and she met them straight on.

A flash of crimson and the shimmer of quickly revolving patterns mesmerized her, and before she knew it Sakura was being curtly swallowed by sweet unconsciousness.

* * *

**Last time I say this, I promise, but as you could probably tell, the next chapter holds all the explanations. **

**I hope you guys liked it.**

**Let me know what you think is happening here.**

**Please Review. **


	17. Chapter 17

Sakura sat up suddenly as if she just remembered something particularly shocking and absolutely surreal. Problem is, her mind was drawing a blank at the moment and she had no idea what was happening. All she knew was that something was very wrong with this picture.

Actually many things were wrong with the picture.

For example, she was lying on a crisp clean white bed. However, the room she was in, had walls made of stone, and Sakura could just tell that she was in the middle of an underground cave. Only problem is she didn't really know that they had those in Konoha.

Another thing that was so utterly wrong was that the girl had no idea how she got there. Not to mention that for the life of her, she could have sworn that she was wearing a dress, not a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, which on closer inspection proved to be her own sweatpants and T-shirt. Which raised the question of how the hell did they get to there, and who on earth put them on her.

Furthermore, Sakura could see the bandages carefully surrounding her injured left arm and she could feel bandages covering the wounds on her back.

Sakura shifted slightly, feeling the discomfort radiating from those wounds.

*He knocked me out.* She surmised, now that her memory was slightly returning and the image of rapidly revolving patterns against a background of crimson came flashing through her mind.

Putting her feet on the floor, Sakura carefully stood up.

*What the hell is going on here?*

*Well, it would appear that you have once again managed to get yourself in a very dangerous situation.* Inner summarized wisely. *WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!* She added loudly. *I know that your life has no value, but mine is precious damn it, so why the hell don't you start acting like it?* The alter ego snapped. *Hey are you even listening to me…..* She questioned as Sakura simply walked towards the door, too damn curious as to what was happening to indulge inner in a conversation.

Opening the door, Sakura carefully stepped into the hallway.

*It is a cave.* She concluded.

The stone hallway was rather damp and it made the medic thankful for the fact that she was wearing pants now rather than her dress. It was also dark, except for the few candles that were placed every few steps, giving the place an air of mystery.

Sakura padded down the hallway, not really knowing where she was going or where she was, *You know, normal people wouldn't go wandering about, if they had no idea what they're doing. But I'm thinking of sane people here, so don't let that stop you.* Inner shot sarcastically.

Sakura ignored her, she knew she was being rash, but she has been through a lot that night, and she really didn't have it in her to just sit still and wait for something to happen.

Breathing deeply, Sakura turned a corner into another candle lit hallway. She was about to conclude that this place was like a maze where every hallway looked exactly the same; when she detected a rather large wooden door at the far end of the passage.

Walking on tiptoes, Sakura stuck close to the door and froze when she actually heard voices.

*Maybe this wasn't the smartest idea, after all.*

*Ya think.*

"I can't believe they're getting that bold." A male voice echoed through the door, it was muffled but clear enough for the girl to make out the words.

"This could only mean that they are ready to take action." A female voice replied. "Come into the light, if you will."

"I doubt that they'll come into the light but I agree with the fact that they have gotten more confident. They are definitely about to move." This time, it was another male voice and Sakura's eyes widened. She knew that voice but for the life of her she couldn't place it. Sakura strained her mind; it was a tip of the tongue moment, or tip of the brain in her case; she just knew that person.

"The latest attack, unlike the others, wasn't meant as a threat." Now, was it Sakura's imagination or did that sound exactly like Neji, same inflections, same tone of voice.

*Nah, impossible.* Pause. *But what attack are they talking about.

"I agree, they were really going for the kill." Now it was another familiar voice, but this time it was a female voice.

At that last statement, the atmosphere in the room got tense, even standing outside the room, Sakura could feel it.

"Man, this is troublesome. "

Sakura's eyes widened, as she stuck her ear to the door, this was unmistakable, the voice the tired tone and even the statement, this was Shikamaru, there was no doubt about it.

"We need to take action, right now. We can't delay this any longer." The man paused, "What is it?" He added, sounding concerned as if someone silenced or interrupted him mid statement.

Sakura strained to hear what was happening but nothing was said as expectant silence stretched through the place.

*Talk people, damn it. I wanna know what's going on and why Shikamaru's here.* Sakura mentally roared, however, something gave her the feeling that she was in danger.

Raising her head slightly and rising a little from the kneeling position she was at, Sakura found herself staring into deep onyx eyes.

Sakura blanched.

For his part, Itachi was completely impassive, his handsome face downright blank as he stared down at the girl.

She blinked.

"I…. I…. " She muttered, as she watched the Uchiha prince lean down, wrap a hand around her arm and pull her to her feet.

Once she was up, Itachi just walked back into the room, leaving Sakura behind to blink at his retreating form.

*What?*

*He wants you to go after him, moron.* Inner elaborated.

Stumbling on her own feet, Sakura cautiously walked into the room.

For a second after that, Sakura was awed by the sheer size of that cave room; it was huge and utterly surreal. It wasn't every day that she gets to walk into a gigantic room made of stones, and lit by the glow of hundreds of shimmering candles.

A second later though, Sakura came to a stop and stared disbelieving at the occupants of the room.

First her eyes fell on her very own Shishou who was sitting on a huge chair at the front of the room and right in the middle. Tsunade gave Sakura a reassuring smile as their eyes met.

Sakura's eyes however, didn't settle there, for standing a few steps away from the Hokage, was none other than Kakashi.

Next to the copy ninja was the owner of the familiar male voice that Sakura couldn't place; it was Shisui. No wonder she thought she knew his voice too well.

By Shisui's side, was Genma, who appeared to be scanning Sakura from head to toe as she looked at him.

Next to him was Neji, followed by Shikamaru who was rubbing the back of his neck and muttering something incoherent.

After that was the owner of the unidentified female voice, miss Anko Mitirashi, and by her side was the other female voice Sakura heard, Kurunai Sensei, who gave Sakura a maternal smile.

Standing next to them, was the perverted Sanin himself. It figures that Jiraiya would choose to stand next to the ladies out of all the others in the room.

And of course, completing the semi-circle around the Hokage's chair, Itachi stood there, giving nothing away and allowing Sakura to take in her surroundings.

And behind the Hokage's chair, Shizune was standing with a pen and a paper in her hand, obviously taking notes on the meeting.

Other than that, Sakura only saw about 5 unfamiliar faces and about 7 masked anbu standing to the side of the room, obviously for protection purposes.

"I'm glad you're OK, Sakura." Kakashi said in a fatherly tone.

"Saku-chan was truly amazing today." Jiraiya praised.

"Yup," Shisui said with a nod. "She took on two of them at once."

"She shouldn't have faced them in the first place."Neji objected.

"They were the ones who came after her." Shikamaru interjected.

"She should have run." Hyuuga replied.

"I'm sure she didn't really have much of a chance to do that." Kurenai intervened.

"And even if she did," Anko jumped in. "Running is the last thing she should do. Standing her grounds and kicking their sorry asses is more like it." She finished.

"That's too dangerous." Genma pitched in. "Especially, that she wasn't prepared. She should have run."

"Nonsense, she had to fight." Anko replied.

"You're being irrational, Anko-san." Neji accused the raven haired woman.

Anko narrowed her eyes.

"I agree with Anko, fighting was Sakura's best alternative." Kurenai stepped in.

"Now you two are objecting just for the sake of objecting." Genma said offhandedly.

"No it's just that you two want to turn her into a coward." Kurenai replied.

"We're trying to keep her from getting killed." Neji elaborated.

"Are you saying that we are trying to get her killed, Hyuga." Anko roared, taking a step forwards.

"Mind your attitude Mitirashi-san." The Hyuga threatened.

"Or what?" The quick tempered Jonin questioned, while both kurenai and Genma were carrying on a war of words on their own.

"ENOUGH!" Tsunde's voice finally echoed, silencing everyone.

"But that was too much fun to watch." Jiraiya whined.

"Agreed." Shisui said in a low voice.

The Hokage shook her head in despair. She could have been out drinking right now.

"What exactly is going on here?" Sakura finally found her voice and questioned, directing everyone's attention to the fact that she was actually in the room and not just a subject for heated debate.

Tsunade smiled.

"I'm glad to see that you are doing fine, those wounds of yours worried me for a while." The Hokage said in a level tenor, bringing her hands together in her lap, which Sakura knew is a sign that the woman was getting both serious and bored. Actually, most of the time the Hokage only got serious because she was bored and needed to use seriousness to get things over with. "Have you heard of the Akatsuki, Sakura?"

The woman questioned, as everyone watched the exchange with curiously, except for Itachi, who, for all intents and purpose was ignoring the entire scene.

Sakura took a minute to run that through her mind.

She nodded in realization.

"Yah, the S-ranked criminal organization who attacked Suna a few months ago." She surmised. "That's why Kakashi-sensei has been away on recon missions so much lately." The medic added, as her sensei nodded.

"Exactly." The Hokage concurred. "We have reason to believe that those people are now out to attack Konoha, and that they were the ones to come after you tonight in an attempt to kill you."

Sakura listened intently and hid all signs of her growing anxiety.

"Why?" She questioned and was proud at how level her voice sounded.

"Uchiha-Taicho will explain everything to you in detail." Tsunde paused, casting her eyes towards her seemingly disinterested right hand man. "And starting from now, Sakura, you are part of this operation, I know that you will rise to this challenge." The woman finished.

Sakura just blinked, as everyone's eyes shifted to her, including Itachi's eyes which were currently scanning her in search of something.

The Kunoichi, didn't notice any of that though, as her attention was fixed on the Hokage, who got to her feet.

"This meeting is adjourned until we receive Uchiha-Taicho's confirmation." The woman said, casting her eyes Itachi's way once more. Itachi simply held her gaze for a second. "You may go." She said waving a hand at the room.

Chatter started as the Hokage finished her sentence.

"Can I go get a drink now?" The woman said turning to her disapproving assistant.

"You have work to do." Shizune instructed.

"Did someone say drink?" Jiraiya said, as he drifted forwards towards his old teammate.

Tsunade grinned.

"No!" Shizune interrupted.

Sakura didn't have the opportunity to see how that argument ended, as her line of vision was obstructed by Itachi who came to stand right in front of her.

"Let's go, Sakura." He said in a clipped tenor, before he walked past her and towards the door.

Casting one final look behind her, Sakura took in the comforting smile Kakashi gave her before she turned away and walked after the Uchiha.

Worried, anxious, scared, ready to make a run for her life, afraid, terrified, horrified, and utterly bewildered. Yup, that's how she was feeling as she drifted after the Uchiha, down the corridor, down another corridor, and a third corridor and right into the same room she was in when she woke up.

He lit a few candles, closed the door and turned towards her and before even hearing a word, the girl gulped.

.

His dark expression was only emphasized by the shadows cast by the candles.

Sakura eyed him cautiously. Only a few hours ago, she was going through a mental debate with her inner about that man. And only one thing was for certain; his absence from her life left a void. And now, he was standing before her, obviously not ignoring her anymore yet everything appeared to be so wrong.

"You're pissed, aren't you?" She questioned, opting to go first and dilute the tense atmosphere created by his dark presence.

Itachi only looked at her as an answer.

"Why?" She questioned.

"Because you're here." He finally spoke, a dangerous monotone.

Sakura scowled.

"Oh, I'm so flattered." She said in a fake cheery voice.

"This is no laughing matter, Sakura." He warned.

"Then what is it?" She questioned. "What's going on here? Why are you and all of those people working together? Why don't I and my team know about it if Kakashi Sensei is already in on it? Why are the Akatsuki in Konoha now? And why would they come after me?" She listed her questions, getting straight to the point.

Itachi paused for a minute, as if gathering his thoughts, he then gestured for her to sit.

Too curious to even think, Sakura sat down on the edge of the bed, emerald eyes fixated on the Uchiha heir.

Itachi pulled up a chair, and sat down. He cast his eyes downwards for a second, before leaning back in his chair and fixing Sakura with an intense look.

"Why do you think that I do what I have been doing, Sakura?" He questioned in a level tone, his demeanor much less clipped than just a few seconds ago.

Sakura blinked.

"Why am I trying to get you to leave Sasuke?" He elaborated.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"I don't know." She said earnestly. "You said it was because I didn't suit him. I figured you had some younger brother complex and you just want to ensure that he's with someone worthy."

"Don't you think that it is a bit naïve to assume that I would go to such great lengths to shield my brother from a potential girlfriend?" Itachi questioned once more.

"Well, I…." She trailed off. "It's a bit much, granted."

"Then why do you think I would do it?"

"I don't know. I mean, maybe you've had some bad experiences yourself and didn't want him to suffer as well."

"This is merely an assumption, Sakura." The Uchiha heir remarked, his eyes narrowing.

Now when did the roles reverse, giving Sakura the task of defending Itachi's actions?

Sakura took a second to consider her words, before throwing caution to the wind. This just appears like the moment to do so.

"Not really." The medic started. "Shisui told me that…" She paused for a second, weighing her words. "He told me that you already had someone and that she had to leave." She pushed on, meeting his unfaltering gaze head on. "I figured that this woman maybe hurt you and that you didn't want a repeat performance with Sasuke and that was why you were being overprotective." She added.

"I see." He breathed. "Shisui told you this." He added, and Sakura could practically see him jotting Shisui's name down for some payback.

"He really didn't mean to divulge anything, it's just that I was really mad at you and he was trying to make me feel better." She explained. Poor Shisui was in danger now.

"You don't have to defend him, Sakura." Itachi said with a raised eyebrow. "What else did he tell you?" He questioned. "Be honest." He advised.

Sakura took in a deep breath.

"He also told me that you really aren't that bad, you know, since you didn't actually physically hurt me or use the Sharingan on me." She reiterated, now that should better Shisui's situation a bit. "What does any of that have to do with Akatsuki anyway?"

Itachi took a minute to file away the information he just received.

"It has a lot to do with them." He said enigmatically. "But before I tell you, please answer one more question. How many times have you been attacked ever since your relationship with Sasuke became public?"

Sakura took a minute to gather her thoughts.

"Many times." She said earnestly. "Honestly, I can't even begin to count how many times a desperate fangirl tried to take me out one way or another."

"So you believe fangirls were the ones behind those attacks?" He questioned.

"You said only one more question." She pointed out, but when his eyes narrowed, she opted to answer his question. "Yes, I mean who else would want to hurt me. Except after today I'm not really sure, I mean Akatsuki are apparently after me and that blonde guy tried to attack me before not to mention the creepy old man from the auction." Sakura reiterated tiredly.

"The blonde attacked you before?"

"Yes, once, after the auction, I thought he was a woman though. He didn't like it one bit when I told him that."

Itachi blinked.

"He does appear rather feminine." The Uchiha surprised her by saying. "Anything else you'd like to tell me about the attacks, Sakura?"

Sakura thought hard about that one, before shaking her head.

"Hn." Was the apprehensive reply she got.

"What does all this have to do with today and why….." She trailed off when he gave her a look that translated into: 'have some patience.'

"Sakura, as the Hokage said, we have reason to believe that the Akatsuki are after you."

"But why?" She couldn't help but cut in. "I never did anything to cross them."

"Actually, you did." Itachi said calmly. "You started dating Sasuke." He added simply, and before Sakura could interrupt, he shot her a warning look that had her biting her tongue to hold back the words. "As Shisui has so graciously told you, Sakura, the woman I was once involved with had to move away. However, he didn't really tell you the full story."Itachi began and Sakura's eyes widened, inclining forwards on instinct as if leaning closer would help her understand more. "She was kidnapped, Sakura, and she almost died. After that she was too traumatized to stay in Konoha or to carry on her relationship with me." The Uchiha added, and much to Sakura's unrivaled surprise his voice actually held an almost indiscernible hint of emotion.

*He's upset.*

"Why? Why did that happen to her?"

"Because she was with me." Itachi said simply, reassuming his mask of impassiveness.

Sakura scowled.

"Some people, Sakura, are terrified of the prospect of either me or Sasuke getting in a relationship. This is because; such could translate into marriage and soon into children." He paused eyeing her to make sure that she was following.

"They don't want the Uchiha clan to get stronger." She surmised.

He nodded approvingly.

"It makes sense, yours is the strongest Sharingan in the Uchiha clan and Sasuke's is also strong and the fact that your offspring would be the leaders of the clan, not just any regular members, could only terrify anyone who is antagonistic to your clan." Came Sakura's analysis.

A smile actually touched Itachi's lips at that.

"I am glad you understand."

"I have been Sasuke's teammate for too long. He often spoke of such people who held grudges against your clan. But why would the Akatsuki hold such grudges? As far as I know none of the members of Akatsuki come from Konoha."

Itachi inclined his head to the side appraising her question, the ghost of his smile still there. It was as if he approved of her line of thought.

"The Akatsuki have dreams of absolute dominance, Sakura, and destroying the strongest clans in all the nations is a big part of their objective. Additionally, incorporating whatever powers and bloodline traits these clans might possess, is also a lucrative motive for their attacks." The Uchiha elaborated. And eyed Sakura appraisingly.

"This makes sense, but I feel like something is missing." She pointed out. "You said that long ago, your…." Pause. "Girlfriend, was kidnapped. I understand the implication that they were the ones behind it; but if so, the Akatsuki has to have had an interest in the Uchiha clan for a long time, why haven't they acted on it then?" She questioned.

Itachi smirked.

"Something _is_ missing." He repeated her statement. "This is a rather clever remark Sakura." He commended and Sakura actually blushed. "Indeed, there is something that I have neglected to tell you. While the Akatsuki are power hungry, their interest in the Uchiha clan specifically far transcends that. Their interest in my clan is rooted in their founder's dreams of completely eradicating the clan and destroying it alongside everything that it stands for."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"But… why? Are you saying this is personal?"

"Yes." Itachi said simply. "Their leader is a member of the clan, one that you have met before many times. Uchiha Madara."

Sakura shot to her feet in surprise, "What? Why would he…"

"Calm down, Sakura." Itachi's calm tenor echoed as he gestured for her to sit back down, his eyes surveying the bandages on her arm.

She sat down, completely drained and wild-eyed.

"Years ago, the clan elders banished him outside Konoha for committing shameless acts. Acts that he has done in the name of the clan. He spilled lots of innocent blood and even the blood of his very own brother. Madara's defense was that he was trying to protect the clan and guarantee that it rises to power instead of the Senju clan. He demanded that the elders support him in his endeavor to overthrow the Hokage, yet the clan elders refused and banned him from entering Konoha for years. Madara was only allowed back 10 years ago, after putting on a show of having repented for his sins. And it was only because of the turbulent relation between the clan and a few people on the third Hokage's upper council; that Madara was allowed to return. It was akin to a display of power. The elders wanted to show that they weren't going to accept being indirectly threatened by those working with the third." Itachi reiterated.

Sakura remained silent, watching him carefully.

"That action of theirs, though, provided Madara with more power than he ever dreamed of. He feigns innocence for the sake of the clan elders, he attempts to gain the respect and support of the clan members, yet in reality, he is plotting to exact revenge on the clan for not supporting him. His plan is to eradicate the Uchiha clan and by so doing, he would not only exact vengeance but also he would have weakened Konoha by taking away the support of the Uchiha clan as well as the police department." Itachi's calm voice echoed, yet Sakura could clearly hear the rage boiling beneath the surface. "He was the one to sow the seeds of adversity between the clan and the leaders of Konoha during the time of the Third; this almost led to a catastrophic war between both sides. And when this attempt of his failed, he decided to take a slower approach and remain hidden until he achieves what he wants."

"Don't …. Don't your clan elders know that he holds a vengeance and is trying to destroy them?" Sakura said in a small voice, she was in shock.

"There is no proof of his actions, Sakura. I don't even have proof that he is the leader of Akatsuki."

"Then how do you know that he is?"

"He tried to recruit me into Akatsuki a few years back, during the time of the Third."

At that, Sakura's eyes widened. This man before her, this hero of Konoha; she could never in a million years envision him as part of something so gruesome. He might be dangerous and dark, but he was Konoha's through and through.

"Why did he think that you…."

"The story of Madara and myself is one for another time, Sakura."

"I thought you were going to tell me everything."

"Only what you need to know."

Sakura couldn't help but look disappointed.

"Do you know now, why I try to drive Sasuke's lovers away?" He questioned. Yup, this worked; Sakura's attention was diverted away from Madara as her mind was sent spinning at a hundred miles per hour.

"You… You were trying to protect them from meeting the same fate as your ex-girlfriend." Sakura surmised once again shooting to her feet.

Itachi smirked.

"I was trying to protect my brother from knowing anything that could put him in danger." Itachi amended.

"He can't remain clueless, he needs to know."

Itachi looked up at Sakura, his eyes losing their mirth.

"Do not tell him a thing, Sakura."

"I won't, but…"

"This knowledge would put his life at a risk. And as I told you, we don't have any proof as of yet."

Sakura sat back down, and sighed.

"But isn't it a little extreme for him to target your girlfriends, I mean, he risks exposing himself." Sakura reasoned.

"You are right." Itachi said simply. "It is rather reckless; however, Madara knows that with each new Uchiha his chances of dominance diminish. My birth was one that he would have loved nothing more than to stop. I am sure that he regrets not intervening then."

Now that was harsh, Sakura felt sadness tug at her heart.

"Bastard." She said despite herself.

Itachi smirked.

"Additionally, Sakura, Madara's intentions are a secret. No one suspects him of anything, and his affiliations with Akatsuki are clandestine. This puts him in the position to target anyone without dirtying his hands. And accusing him of anything would only go to soil the reputation and credibility of the accuser."

"So he targets the girls because no one could ever trace it to him." She surmised.

"Yes, he knows that only I know of his true intentions and he uses those actions to try and divert my attention away from his true plans." Itachi elaborated.

Sakura gawked.

"So you took it upon yourself to drive those girls away before he could kill them."

"And fortunately, the Hokage believed my account of Madara's intentions and involvement with Akatsuki." The Uchiha heir elaborated. "My account was validated later on by Jiraiya-sama who has been pursuing the Akatsuki for some time. And in accordance with that, we formed the unit you saw earlier to stop him."

Sakura nodded.

"This is why they were after me today."

He nodded.

"They have been after you since your relationship became public, Sakura." Itachi said in a stern tenor. "They were the ones trying to kill you to start with, not Sasuke's fans."

"Oh." Was all Sakura could manage.

"You have always been assigned around the clock protection by Anbu, however, every once in a while one of them managed to get close to you."

Sakura nodded.

"I evaded a few attacks."

"You did." He said, and she had to blush at the unmistakable hint of pride in his voice. "We didn't expect them to raise the level of their attack so early on. Our plan was to use your presence as a way to lure them out and uncover the identities of those who are helping Madara and leaking information to him. Weeding those traitors out is of the essence and since you were the only person Sasuke dated that had the potential to withstand the attacks, it was the perfect opportunity for us to do just that."

Sakura shook her head attempting to reconcile all the information she was hearing.

"Use me presence?" She parroted. "This means that you weren't really trying to get rid of me." She concluded.

"I was in no hurry to drive you away." He said simply.

Sakura blinked.

"That was you not trying?" She said in an incredulous voice.

Itachi grinned.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned about being used as bait?" He remarked.

She shook his head.

"If it helped you get closer to your target then it was well worth it." She said in determination and as a response Itachi's eyes gleamed with something that she couldn't really name.

"Hey, about Madara's informants, isn't the shady old guy from the auction one of them. He was following me tonight and….."

"He is one of us, Sakura." Itachi said simply. "Kaien is an undercover Anbu, he was assigned to protect you. He is one of our best, the fact that you managed to not only detect his presence tonight, but also elude him, is rather impressive."

Sakura gawked at him.

"I didn't know, I mean I thought he was…" She paused for a second, realization setting in. "That's why you came tonight, after he lost me."

He nodded.

"I had to see to your safety." He said simply, completely oblivious to the impact his words had on the girl.

"So why did he bid at the auction then if he was just there to watch me?" She questioned. "Also, why the auction?" She added. Yup, that's a nice diversion for her thoughts, she needed to know stuff.

"So hungry for information, Sakura." His lilting tenor echoed. "The auction was part of my plan to draw the snakes out of their holes, if you will. By luring Madara and whatever informants and assistants he has out in the open. It was also a way of showing him that I was in fact attempting to stop you from seeing Sasuke, so as to divert his attention away from the fact that I was not actively trying to drive you away." Itachi paused, for his words to sink in. "Kaien was bidding because an unexpected turn of events kept me from attending the first part of the auction."

"Turn of events."

"Remember what happened the day of the auction, Sakura." Itachi said vaguely.

Sakura racked her brain. What did happen, other than the auction, the weird dresses, the odd people bidding for her, Oh…

"Sasuke." She said, realization dawning.

"Exactly." Itachi concurred. "Madara's plan was to keep Sasuke away from the auction. I trust he wanted to win, in order to get closer to you, and even use the time allotted for the date to attempt to recruit you. This is why he went after Sasuke, knocking him out before the auction." At that, Itachi paused, his jaw tightening. "I had to make sure he wasn't hurt."

"So it wasn't you who knocked him and Naruto out."

Itachi smirked.

"I was the one to take Uzumaki out." He said in an easy tenor. "His presence wasn't expected."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, before she raised an eyebrow.

"It was you who put them in my bed." She accused.

He smirked again.

"I trust you enjoyed your present, Sakura." He said teasingly.

Sakura pouted.

"Yah, very. Thank you very much." She said laughingly before her expression turned serious. Itachi watched as she mulled something over. "He had Sasuke." She said in a strained voice. "Why didn't he hurt him then?"

Itachi's expression tightened.

"He will not do something this rash, Sakura." He pointed out. "Madara is waiting for the right time. He is still building his forces and finalizing his plans. Once he is done, I believe he will attempt to come after me and Sasuke personally before attempting to destroy the clan."

Sakura nodded.

This was horrible, yes, he was waiting, waiting for the opportunity to destroy the Uchiha clan, to take out both Sasuke and Itachi.

"You don't need to worry, Sakura." Itachi said in a confident voice, as if reading her thoughts.

The girl sighed.

"So, why were you pissed at having me here?" She finally questioned.

Itachi gave her a blank look, as if the answer is self-explanatory.

"Your life has already been put in danger, Sakura, without your knowledge. However, now that you are here, you will have to willingly participate and help us prove Madara's connection."

"I want to." Sakura said determinately.

The Uchiha heir gave her a stern look.

"You do not realize the size of the commitment you are making." He warned impassively.

"I want to help." She said without missing a beat.

"Sakura I will guarantee your safety. You do not have to be part of this operation." Itachi said in an unwavering tenor, his eyes stern.

Sakura breathed.

"It's not about my safety." She spoke, now more serious than Itachi has ever seen her before. "I have to fight them because they are threatening Konoha, and they are also threatening Sasuke and you, I would never…."

She trailed off, face going bright red.

*Did you just say that you need to fight them because they're threatening him?* Inner Sakura, being the helpful little brat she was, chose this particular sentence to repeat.

Sakura blushed even harder, when Itachi who was eyeing her carefully smirked, the tension behind his eyes dissipating almost instantaneously.

"Me, Sakura?" He intoned, rolling her name in the most alluring way ever. "You are trying to protect me?" He added.

The girl gulped, trying her best to ignore the fact that his voice dropped a few octaves and was now a throaty purr.

"I… I…. I….." She muttered. "No… I mean…. Ya…. I… You know….. Ahem…. So what am I gonna have to do?" The medic questioned, trying to steer the weight of his dark orbs away from her flushed face.

He smirked, eyes gleaming with something that she couldn't place.

"Take your shirt off, Sakura." He said in an easy tenor.

"Huh?" Was all she managed.

"Shirt, Sakura." He said once more, getting to his feet for the first time since the conversation started, and standing right in front of her. "Off." He finished, eyes stern.

Sakura gulped.

"Ummm… No." She said and it almost sounded like a question.

He actually smiled at that one.

"I need to check on your wounds, Sakura." He elaborated. "The Hokage has healed them, and I wish to check on their progress." He declared.

Sakura fought back a blush.

"It's fine, though, I'm sure they're good, I'm not really in pain and since Shishou is the one who did them…"

"Don't make me repeat myself, Sakura." Was his no nonsense command. "Would you prefer it if I removed it for you?" He questioned, and Sakura scanned his face for any hints of humor but found none. He was dead serious.

"Nope." She said awkwardly, as she got to her feet. "I'll do it." She added trying to make it sound like her decision. "But don't try anything fishy." She warned wagging a finger at him, since she was now standing inches away from him.

He grinned.

"Fishy?" He repeated the foreign word.

"Yah, like that time at your place." She said, trying to divert her own attention away from the fact that she was about to take her shirt off.

"I see." Was Itachi's response, as his eyes traced Sakura's fingers, on their way to remove her shirt.

Sakura quickly and almost comically turned her back to the Uchiha, before steadying herself and pulling her shirt above her head.

Almost instantaneously she felt a shiver run through her spine, at the cold. And she could actually feel the weight of his eyes on her back, as she stood there in nothing covering her upper body but a bra and a few bandages.

"You know, I'm the medic, maybe I should…" She started, but was cut off as she felt his fingers press along the bandage on her lower back.

"Have a seat, Sakura." He said in a low tenor, as he directed her to sit on the bed, and sat behind her.

Carefully, Itachi peeled the bandage covering her lower back, and Sakura flinched slightly at the cold.

"Does it hurt?" He questioned from behind her, and this time she actually flinched and felt her cheeks heat up at his closeness.

"No." She replied. "Just cold." She added for clarification.

"Hn."

Closing her eyes tight, Sakura drew on all her will power not to squirm when Itachi's hands lightly caressed her bare skin. It didn't hurt, not a little bit courtesy of her Shishou's handy work, but the fact that he was touching her so gently, paired with his Chakra being directed into her body to check for injuries; was a heady mix.

"Are you Ok, Sakura?" He questioned from behind her.

"Yah." Was all she managed as she went back to concentrating on not squirming.

"You are not breathing, Sakura." He said, and she could detect both humor and concern in his normally impassive tenor.

"Oh." Was her response.

*Maybe you should squirm a little, if you don't want us to suffocate to death that is.* Inner hissed, and Sakura nodded reluctantly.

But honestly, she couldn't help but arch her back slightly, when his hand gently brushed against her lower back rubbing it almost soothingly. Sakura's breath hitched. *God I hope he didn't notice that.*

"You're really good at this." She commented trying to step out of her thoughts for a bit, before she embarrasses herself even more. "One would think that you've taken advanced medicine before. Say, when you were seven or something." She teased.

She could hear his smirk.

"Recently, I have been brushing up on my medical knowledge." He intoned. "I have a good teacher, Sakura." He added suggestively, making the girl thankful that she was facing away from him.

Swiftly he untied the bandages on her arm and repeated his actions, his Chakra seeking out the remnant scar tissues and healing them almost instantaneously.

As quickly as his hands were on her, they were gone, and Sakura couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Shaking her head slightly, Sakura banished the offending thought, quickly slipping her shirt back on as he spoke.

"You were lucky, Sakura. You faced two members of the Akatsuki and survived with only minor damage."

"They're the ones that got lucky. I was gonna kick their asses." She said, voice muffled as she was still inside her shirt.

Itachi raised an eyebrow at her back; he knew that this was an obvious attempt at both humor and teasing him.

"Hn."He said enigmatically. "You know, Sakura, about that time at my house," He started and Sakura blanched. Damn, why did she have to bring that up? "I did not think it was fishy." He reiterated her words. "I thought it was fun."

The thought of Uchiha Itachi saying the word fun, almost made the girl giggle. But she was too indignant to laugh at the moment.

On that thought, Sakura turned around so that she was facing the Uchiha now that her shirt was back in place.

"Fun." She repeated snappily. "It's not right to try and have this sorta fun with your brother's girlfriend, even if you were doing it to protect Konoha." She berated, pointing a finger at Itachi.

Sakura had to restrain herself from making a run for it, when Itachi's expression changed into a more playful one, making her feel like a mouse staring in the eyes of a jungle cat.

"Who's that?" Itachi questioned easily.

"Who's who?" She answered question with question.

"Who's my brother's girlfriend?" He replied.

She raised an eyebrow. "Me." She said simply, feeling like she was being trapped, yet opting for confidence instead of backpedalling.

"Are you, Haruno-San?" He said, leaning towards her. The gesture alongside the way he just referred to her; sent Sakura's blood running cold. "Are you, Sasuke's girlfriend?" He questioned, this time leaning even further, and cupping her face with his hand, forcing her to look him square in the eyes.

Sakura gulped.

He leaned even closer, so that his face was inches away from hers, as his thumb stroked her cheek.

"My brother's girlfriend, hah?" He breathed huskily, his nose slightly touching hers.

Sakura's heart rate soared through the roof, as she gulped again.

"You knew." She concluded, even though her thought process just about stopped.

Itachi smirked, drawing away and giving her a mischievous grin.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"Since when?" She questioned as he straightened. "How did you even know?" She added. Man, so not only did they play a game too dangerous for even them to fathom, but they also weren't even fooling him?

"Sakura, I know your background with my brother, and I know the nature of your relationship. Additionally, you have not gone out alone since you allegedly started dating. And of course there is the fact that Yamanaka-san tends to divulge a lot more information than she intends to." Itachi listed and Sakura's eyes widened.

"She told you?" Sakura roared getting to her feet in sheer rage and staring down at the Uchiha who was still sitting on the bed.

He smirked.

"Not directly. However, I am sure you know that in a drunken stupor, she has informed both Hyuuga-san and Tenten-san of your plan." Itachi said in a calm tenor, as if he wasn't just butchering all the perceptions Sakura had of the last few months.

"She wasn't even drunk, was she?" Sakura questioned, indignantly.

"Not really." Itachi replied in an easy tenor, and a quick flash of crimson that went through his eyes made the reasons behind Ino's little mishap crystal clear.

Sakura gawked.

"She doesn't even know it was you, does she?"

"Hn."

Translation: 'Nope.'

Sakura sighed sitting back down next to Itachi on the bed.

"And," Itachi started once more in a husky voice, "Your interactions were telltale. They were too innocent, Sakura. And I know for a fact, that even my foolish little brother, can't be that foolish." He breathed, as he casually tucked a stray pink strand behind her ear. "And Finally, Hatake-san was always a part of this mission."

Sakura gawked at him, as he casually looked away.

Yup, he knew, he always knew, and Kakashi must have assured him of the fact that it was a game, right after she made it clear to him that it was. *Damn it.*

For a few seconds after that, they fell silent, as Sakura's mind raced through all the events of the day and all the information she has gotten. She didn't even know where to start or how to sort all of this out. She didn't even know what to feel.

She sighed again.

"You must think I'm really stupid for putting myself in danger and not even for a real relationship." She offered.

Itachi took a second and then replied.

"You have decided to challenge me, Sakura, only to help my brother get a girlfriend." Itachi said in an easy tone. *He's right, I'm a good person.* She mentally concluded, before Itachi pushed on. "Stupid, doesn't begin to describe your actions." He finished.

Sakura scowled, turning her head towards him and glaring.

He gave her a sexy as hell smirk.

Sakura pouted and glared at him at the same time.

But before any of them could say anything else, the door to the room flew open and Shisui stood there grinning at the two people sitting on the bed side by side.

"Am I interrupting something?" He questioned.

Sakura blushed.

"No." She said sternly.

"Shame on you, little cousin." Shisui berated. "Why am I not interrupting something?" He added, as Itachi got to his feet and gave his elder cousin a castigating stare.

"Shisui will escort you to your house, Sakura. And he will stay with you until we meet tomorrow." He added in a professional tenor.

"Tomorrow?" She questioned.

"The Monthly Uchiha-clan gathering." Shisui elaborated.

"But why?" Sakura questioned.

"He will brief you on what you need to know." Itachi said in that clipped tenor he uses for work related businesses.

Sakura scowled, but was snapped out of it when Itachi actually nodded as a goodbye, before he turned around and walked out of the cave door without a glance backwards.

"You up for a slumber party, kitten?" Shisui questioned, with a wolfish grin.

Sakura sighed.

"Yah, sure, why not."

* * *

**Ta daaaaaa!**

**So there you have it, the true reason behind which everything that happened, has happened. **

**Big surprise awaits you in the next chapter, alongside a few more explanations, especially regarding what Kakashi actually told Itachi. **

**Now, this was one of the hardest chapters for me to write, and I'd love to know what you guys think of it.**

**5 chapters to go ;)**

**Let me know.**

**Please Review.**


	18. Chapter 18

Sleep is a rather valuable commodity, and most of us fail to understand just how essential it is. That is of course, until you end up having a very unusual day, and your mind decides that the best course of action is to flood your head with ideas every time you feel like you're approaching the brink of unconsciousness.

*Go away.* Sakura ordered her inner, as she once again squeezed her eyes tight, and attempted to ignore the fact that it was morning already, and that she was nursing a disastrous headache.

*I'm just saying,* her alter ego started, and Sakura knew exactly what she was about to say courtesy of the fact that she's said it over a hundred times throughout the night. *So, you decided to help out your best friend by pretending to be his girlfriend, which was essentially stupid since you were going up against the most dangerous shinobi in town, if not in the entire fighting community. But you still did it, regardless of what your obviously smarter and much more beautiful other self said. And of course you never paused to think that there was something more to Sasuke's brother's attempts than just messing with his Ototo. Consequently, and very naturally, this all went south, because you found out that you were interfering in a huge mission and that you've put a bullseye on your massive forehead for every manic-depressive psycho in Akatsuki to take aim at. And now, you've actually managed to dig yourself a bigger hole, by agreeing to cooperate with Anbu and trying to bring the Akatsuki down. So in a nutshell, you're stupid. Really stupid, I think you've actually transcended stupid and formed a new idiotically moronic category of your own. In fact you're too far past stupid that if you look backwards you might not even see it. Oh, yeah, and I'M WAY TOO YOUNG TO GET KILLED!*

Sakura turned on her side.

Yup, this speech has been repeated with varied phrasing styles over and over again. Inner also resorted to replaying various scenes from the past few months just to highlight Sakura's cluelessness and stupidity.

*Remember when Ino told you that Fangirls would never go as far as to try and kill you.* Inner surmised. *And still you never doubted that something was off when the murder attempts continued.*

*Remember when he told you that nothing was what it seemed.*

*Remember when you chatted with Madara and got this really bad feeling about him and ignored it thinking it was nothing.*

*Remember…*

*Enough.* Sakura mentally screamed, as she sat up in bed, having had her fill of inner's berating ramblings, and lost all hope of getting any sleep.

Sakura opened her eyes, and had to draw on every last bit of her training and experience, not to squeal.

"What are you doing?" She asked the man sitting on the edge of her bed, and apparently watching her.

He grinned.

"Looking at you, of course." He stated matter of factly.

"Why?" She questioned, hesitantly.

"Well, when people sleep they look so peaceful." He announced. "You didn't."

She scowled.

"Oh, come on, forgive me, Kitten, most of the women I meet are gone before the morning. This was my one opportunity to stare at someone as they sleep. I thought I'd see what all the hype was about." He paused thoughtfully. "Actually, most of the time, I'm the one who's gone before the morning." The Uchiha finished with a wink.

She sighed.

"You're really weird." She said in all honestly.

He flashed a wolfish grin.

"I know." The elder Uchiha admitted. "So are you."

"No I'm not." She said defensively. "Even though I feel plenty stupid at the moment." She added truthfully.

He leaned back against the headboard of her bed and made himself comfortable as he shook his head disapprovingly.

"Don't say stuff like that kitten, I for one think you're brave and a very loyal friend to my baby cousin not to mention that you have a very healthy effect on someone else."

Sakura blinked.

"Someone else." She repeated and he gave her a boyish wink. "Well, that someone else thinks I'm stupid."

"In all fairness, kitten, he thinks everyone's stupid."

Sakura scowled.

"This is not acceptable. I'm not stupid."

"I thought you just said you were stupid."

"Whose side are you on?" Sakura shot and the Uchiha grinned.

"The hotter side of course, so I'm right here with kitten." He said smoothly.

She shook her head with a playful smile on her lips. This man was just easy to talk to.

"Is it like a compulsion or something?" She questioned.

Shisui raised an eyebrow.

"You're a compulsive flirt." She accused.

Shisui's smile only widened, as his eyes lit with humor.

"Wow." He said in appreciation. "This could actually work." He added thoughtfully, and as a response to Sakura's confused look, he elaborated. "What would you do if I flirted with you a bit and just before you slapped me, I said this: oh my God, I'm so sorry, I am a compulsive flirt I just can't see someone that beautiful and stay silent, please forgive me." The Uchiha said in a dramatic voice.

Sakura took a second to think.

"I'd slap you." She said offhandedly.

He pouted childishly.

"Too mean, kitten." He paused trying to guilt her, but when she looked totally unaffected he pushed on. "And to think that I've taken the time to go out and buy you some breakfast."

Sakura's eyes lit up.

Food, a distant and much welcome memory.

"You didn't have to." She said out of courtesy.

"Actually, according to my little cousin, my main responsibility is to keep you safe and well fed. Those were his exact words. And he also said that you had a habit of not keeping food in the house so I shouldn't even bother."

At that, Sakura actually blushed.

*Awwww.*

*Shut up.*

Shisui smiled knowingly.

"So, wanna get breakfast, kitten.." He offered and Sakura nodded, getting to her feet and waddling across the room barefoot and in PJs. She must have looked horrendous but she was too hungry to care at the moment, so she only stopped at the mirror to transform her sleep tousled pony tail into a more decent one.

"Here you go kitten." Shisui said as he poured her some coffee.

"How weird is this?" Sakura spoke her thoughts out loud, as she started opening the boxed breakfast that Shisui got.

"You don't like it?" He questioned.

"Not that, it's just that a few months ago I didn't even know you," She paused. "Or Itachi-Taicho and…." She trailed off.

He smiled.

"I'm pretty sure I speak for both me and my cousin when I say that those last few months have been great kitten. Never a dull moment with you." He said laughingly, and Sakura raised an eyebrow at him. "You were legendary at that last clan gathering what with the nicknames and all, the stuffed suits were about to pass out." He finished, his baritone laugh warming the place.

Sakura laughed at the memory, before a thought crossed her mind and she fixed the Uchiha with a thoughtful look.

"Ano," She started hesitantly.

Shisui inclined his head. "You can say anything to me kitten." He assured her in an easy tenor.

She nodded.

"I was just wondering, why Itachi-Taicho stopped bothering me over the last two weeks." She started. "Not that I minded or something, it's just that you know, it was weird that's all….."

Sakura wouldn't have stopped talking if Shisui hadn't grinned, with a mysterious gleam in his eyes.

Resuming his fake-professional bearings the elder Uchiha cleared his throat.

"I would have to say, kitten, that this was because of your sensei." Shisui said simply.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura questioned, her mind quickly remembering the sight of her sensei in the giant cave meeting room. *Yes, he was part of this, even though he had the guts to come to me and pretend like he knew nothing.* Sakura concluded, jotting down a mental note to get back at her sensei.

"Yup, that one. He came to me and Itachi one day when we were playing dodge ball and he told Itachi that it was for the best if he kept his distance from you for a while." Shisui said simply and Sakura's mind was sent racing once more.

"But why?" She questioned.

Shisui shrugged, indicating that he had no idea.

"Anyway, kitten, you have better things to worry about today." Shisui declared.

Sakura blinked.

"The clan gathering starts in a few minutes and I have a feeling that you're gonna be the star."

"What do you mean, what am I supposed to do?"

"All I know is that you're supposed to wear the dress I have put in your closet, and arrive there on time. Once there, you are to go along with whatever my little cousin has planned. And don't forget that Madara might be there so you should be extra cautious." He advised.

Sakura got to her feet.

"That's all?" She questioned angrily. "I require more information, what is it that I am supposed to go along with?"

Shisui shrugged once more, but this time, Sakura's Uchiha translator assured her that he did know but just wasn't telling.

She glared at him, but before she said anything the door to her apartment flew open and Ino's voice echoed.

"What is it, Forehead, why would you leave me a message to come that early in the morning? This is my only day off; I wanted to sleep until midday. I know you don't care about yours, but other people do appreciate their beauty sleep." The blonde screamed, before Sakura turned to face her, in the process revealing Shisui who was sitting on Sakura's couch and sipping his drink.

Ino's eyes widened.

"Good morning Ino-chan." He greeted familiarly.

Ino flashed a flirtatious smile, causing Sakura to conclude that compulsive flirting has gained epidemic status.

"Good morning, Shisui-kun." She greeted sweetly.

"I am afraid it was me who deprived you of your beauty sleep. Not that you need any, if I dare say so." He said smoothly. *No wonder he's so popular with the women.*

"Why?" Ino questioned, after fluttering her lashes in fake embarrassment at his comment.

"Well, I would like to invite you to the Uchiha gathering today. Kitten is going and I was wondering if you'd go with me?" He offered in a husky voice, and Ino's eyes widened.

"I… I….." Sakura heard her stutter for the first time. It was no secret that one of Ino's biggest dreams is to go to one of those gatherings arm in arm with Sasuke. So half of her dream just came true and the smile quickly spreading across her face made it look like she was literally about to burst with joy. She calmed down a bit, and assumed a perfect lady-like demeanor when she answered. "I'd love to."

Smiles were exchanged after that, while Sakura had no idea what was going on.

.

Walking past the giant gates to the Uchiha compound, Sakura pushed down a rush of recent memories, as she pondered the fact that she now had Shisui at one side and Ino at the other instead of Naruto and Sasuke.

She stifled a sigh, and steeled herself.

She had no idea what was about to happen, all she knew was that she needed to go along with Itachi.

*Well that could get dangerous.* Sakura mentally commented, and Inner who was slowly sipping a hot drink did a spit-take.

*Oh My God, when did you learn the meaning of the word; 'dangerous'?* She questioned enthusiastically. *I'm so proud of you. Maybe next you can learn about the many connotations of the word: 'common sense'.* She paused. *No, really, look it up, 'common sense'.* She added slowly. *It's when someone acts in a way that's farthest away from how you normally act.* The alter ego finished snippily.

*Your speeches are getting longer.* Sakura said in an unimpressed tenor. *Do something about that.* She ordered haughtily and her inner twitched.

But in all honesty, the last thing Sakura needed at the moment was orders from someone else. She had the enigmatic Itachi for that.

He even went as far as to send her the girly white dress she was wearing at the moment, along with matching stilettoes.

Sakura huffed.

*Who does that?* She mentally roared. *Control freaks, that's who.*

She didn't even get a say in her hair. She tried to pull it back into a pony tail, but Ino insisted she let flow down, in order to: 'spare the unsuspecting innocents from being traumatized by all that forehead space.'

*Whatever.* Sakura pondered, as they approached the main garden. Ino's excitement was palpable by this point, while Shisui was as casual as a man could be as he grinned down at Sakura and gave her what she assumed was an encouraging wink.

In response, she sighed.

"Sakuraaaa-chaaaaaan." An enthusiastic voice echoed the second the girl stepped into the garden. Sakura stared in disbelief as Naruto came bounding up to her, all big smiles and sincere blue eyes.

"Naruto," She greeted, partially relieved at his familiar presence. "What are you doing here?" She questioned. Sasuke made it a point to keep the blonde away from large family gatherings, after all. Hell, does Sasuke even know that she's here?

Naruto looked confused for a second. Not a rare occasion, really.

"You invited me, Sakura-chan." He said matter of factly. "You also said that the two of us should come, since there is something very important about to happen and you need us to be here."

Sakura blinked, and from the side of her eye she glimpsed Shisui's smile and cursed mentally at not knowing what the hell was going on.

She nodded, with a smile.

"Oh, yah, I totally forgot about that. I did invite you." She lied.

"And we've been having lots of fun." The blonde said happily. "We took lots of pictures, too."

*Who's 'we'?*

"Who else have you invited, other than him, Forehead? And why? What exactly is going on here?" Ino questioned from Sakura's side.

Sakura blinked. Who else did she invite indeed?

"I can only assume that Kitten invited the lovely Hyuuga-san over there." Shisui interjected. And true enough, Hinata was sitting on a close by swing. Actually, lying down on it is more like it, since the girl was unconscious.

Naruto grinned. "We've been swinging all morning. We had drinks and sandwiches. It's amazing." He declared happily. "She woke up two times. I think the swing helps." He paused. "I still haven't gotten my frog suit back." He added dejectedly, more to himself than anyone else.

Sakura eyed the girl swinging idly while onlookers gave her weird looks. *Poor Hinata.*

"Oh, right, Sakura-chan, Teme's looking for you. He said something about murdering you for this." Naruto said informatively and Sakura turned to glare at a grinning Shisui.

"Let's go look for him, then." Shisui offered. And Sakura glared at him even harder.

Walking across the garden, Sakura realized that nothing has changed in the last month or so. The Uchiha clan members were still giving her strange looks, and exchanging hushed up words as she passed by. Actually, the gossiping seems to have exacerbated since she now had Ino and Naruto prancing around by her side, while Shisui and not Sasuke led her around the place.

*They must think you nabbed yet another Uchiha. I wonder if they read that article.* Inner pondered.

Sakura sighed.

*If only they knew how much of a loser you are.* Inner said with pursed lips. *You didn't even nab one, let alone four.*

The medic ignored her inner, in favor of focusing on the approaching form of Sasuke. His face held its normal blank expression, yet a gleam in his eyes showed just how annoyed he was.

He came to a stop in front of them.

"Sakura," He started in a grumpy tone.

"Baby cousin." Shisui greeted before Sakura had time to respond.

Sasuke glared at his cousin, and promptly ignored him, redirecting the force of his glare at Sakura.

"Can we talk?" He asked/ordered.

"Talk." Shisui said simply, putting a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

Sasuke glared at him.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun." Ino twitted.

"Yo, Teme, you're all out of cheese dip." Naruto piped, having taken the time to go check on the food.

"Why did you invite all of those people here?" Sasuke asked Sakura, effectively ignoring everyone else.

"The more the merrier, I figured." She said simply. Well, this answer beats telling him that: she had no idea why those people were here, nor was she the one who invited them.

Before Sasuke could retort, a voice from behind him, forced him to immediately adopt a polite, well-bred demeanor.

"Sakura-dear." Mikoto greeted. "Glad to see Sasuke invited you, this time." The woman said directing a fond look her son's way.

Sasuke nodded lackadaisically, as Mikoto walked over and hugged her, before greeting both Ino and Naruto.

"I have been asking him to invite his friends to the gathering for years. You have such a great impact on him dear." Said the Uchiha matriarch.

Sakura smiled, before her eyes widened at the figures that were approaching.

"Oh, Fugako dear, come greet Sakura and Sasuke's friends." Mikoto told her husband, who walked gracefully over.

The man nodded to all of them, and Sakura's heart rate elevated. It wasn't just Fugako's patented, ever present stern expression that was throwing her off, for she was used to that; it was also the fact that by Fugako's side, was none other than Uchiha Madara, looking as flawless as ever as he regarded the girl.

"Sakura-san." The man greeted, before nodding at both Ino and Naruto.

"Isn't this amazing." Mikoto twitted. "I am so glad that you two are together." She added shifting her eyes between Sasuke and Sakura, while Ino twitched a bit. "Isn't this great Fugako."

As a response, the man grunted.

*Yup, he's just as eloquent as his sons.* Sakura concluded.

"Hai, Hai," Naruto said nodding. "They're a greaaat couple." He said gesturing emphatically. This was his way of helping his friends with their scheme.

Mikoto nodded, as both Sakura and Sasuke sweat-dropped.

"I hope you're Ok, though, dear," The woman said addressing Sakura. "What with those insidious rumors spreading around."

Sakura blushed.

Yup, rumors about her dating three out of the four Uchiha in the direct vicinity, all at the same time.

"I'm so sorry about that." Sakura said, with a bow.

"Don't be, dear." Mikoto said hurriedly. "You are the victim here, it is the fault of the morally deprived journalists, who spread baseless rumors." The woman assured, and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

"They are not completely baseless, mother." Came a voice that caused almost everyone in the clearing to take notice.

Sakura turned around just in time to see Itachi appearing from behind a nearby tree, walking casually, while dressed in a stunning black tux.

Mikoto smiled at the sight of her elder son.

"Itachi, dear." She greeted.

Arriving at where they stood, Itachi greeted his parents and Madara, before giving a polite nod to Ino and Shisui while completely ignoring both Naruto and Sasuke.

He then stood next to Sakura and faced his parents with his normal stoic mask firmly in place.

"What did you mean, dear, when you said that the rumors weren't completely baseless?" Mikoto questioned being the sharp witted woman she was, she really didn't miss much.

Itachi turned his head slightly and regarded Sakura for a second while everyone else watched curiously.

Sakura gulped.

*What on earth is he planning?* She mentally roared.

Sakura's eyes locked with Itachi's, pleading with him to look away or say something, this was making her very uncomfortable and very flustered.

Itachi's eyes, however, never left hers, deep onyxes burning with seriousness and a carefully masked hint of mischievousness.

Everyone watched carefully, hell, even random members of the Uchiha clan, stopped doing what they were doing and turned their attention towards the frozen scene.

Eyes followed Itachi's right hand as it made its way towards his pocket. Not Sakura's eyes though, which were locked with his mesmerizing ones, as she didn't know what else to do.

All human activity, including breathing, stopped, when the Uchiha heir spoke next.

"Will you marry me, Sakura." His smooth tenor drawled, and it was a testament to Sakura's strength that she didn't keel over right then and there.

.

Sakura was in a bubble.

Yup, a bubble, which has formed around her the second she heard Itachi's lilting tenor breathe these words and finish them off by rolling her name in a way that made it sound like the most sensual sound ever.

The bubble isolated Sakura from everyone so that all the noise faded into the background, even the sights surrounding her were blurred and kept at bay by the constraining field of the bubble.

This is why Sakura didn't see everyone's jaws hit the floor or hear it when Sasuke surprised everyone, and even himself, by screaming: "What!" At a volume that would have made Naruto very proud if said blonde wasn't too confused to form a thought.

She didn't watch as Naruto's eyes snapped between her and Itachi, not really knowing what to say for the very first time in his outspoken life.

Sakura also didn't see Ino drop to her knees and do a great impression of herself the day of the auction, by mouthing the words: 'why', 'impossible', and 'but, the forehead' in a continuous loop.

The medic didn't hear Itachi's mother ask him, "What is going on dear?" Or notice Fugaku's stern expression as he stoically asked his son to explain.

Shisui's all-knowing congratulations escaped her ears. And Itachi's unfaltering gaze and the words: "Sakura and I are together and it is my desire to ask for her hand in marriage." Were also lost on her.

The pinkette also spaced out and failed to hear Sasuke's incredulous, "She is my girlfriend." This was the best he could do given that he had no idea what was happening and was really struggling with the fact that his emotionless older brother actually has the capacity to care for someone, let alone ask said someone to marry him, and have that someone be none other than his very own pretend girlfriend.

Not even did she hear it when Itachi calmly stated that Sakura and Sasuke never really were that serious and that he and Sakura made a much more logical couple.

Now that caused Ino to let out a whimper akin to the one a wounded dog would give if you were to heartlessly kick him in the gut.

Sakura didn't see or hear any of this though, as the second the bubble encased her, Inner's voice echoed through the place, accompanied by bizarrely divine sound effects as the alter ego chanted *Halleluiah* Over and over again, and the sound of a cheering and clapping audience flooded Sakura's every sense, as she watched uncanny sunlight flood her inner as she dropped to her knees and raised her arms to the heavens screaming in salvation.

Sakura snuck behind her inner and encased her in a headlock, with one of her hands covering the alter ego's mouth just to stop the madness.

*He didn't mean it, you overly dramatic bafoon.* Sakura roared.

*Mmmmf… Mmmmf… Mmmmf.*Inner responded, eyes widening in horror.

*Think about it: this is what I was instructed to agree to. He wants to take Sasuke out of the equation now that I am in on the whole: 'Prove that Madara is the One Leading Akatsuki' deal. Because if they come after me when I'm with Sasuke, this might put his life in danger. Not to mention that by pretending to marry Itachi not just date Sasuke, Madara will feel compelled to take action fast, and reveal himself.* Sakura explained at length. *This is why, he asked me to….* She trailed off, her heart hammering against her chest. She swallowed. *To marry him.* She finished.

Inner slumped against her, completely deflated.

And they both became alert when the bubble began to dissipate, as Itachi turned to her once more, and the disbelieving chatter that has broken out all around the garden suddenly stopped, as everyone strained to listen.

"What do you say, Sakura," He said smoothly. "Will you marry me?" He questioned, this time opening the box that he has previously retrieved from his pocket, to reveal a breathtaking diamond ring.

Sakura steeled herself, packed all her insecurities and put them away, smiled, nodded, and breathed,

"Yes."

* * *

**Yup…. That happened ;)**

**Only 4 more chapters to go… And the next one has fluff...Ummm... Sorta.  
**

**Please Review.**


	19. Chapter 19

Sakura sat back racking her brain for any means by which to escape the situation at hand. After a brief moment of silence, inner Sakura started laughing at her for being naïve enough to think that there was a way out of this.

After punching her gloating alter ego in the face, Sakura focused her eyes on the form of the passed out Hinata laying helplessly on the couch, courtesy to the fact that Naruto was on a nearby chair rocking back and forth in a desperate attempt to find solace.

Sakura tried to ignore Naruto, she also tried to ignore Ino who was on the chair next to her staring at her with unblinking eyes and an open mouth, making Sakura feel like she just grew another oddly fascinating head.

But more importantly, Sakura was valiantly attempting to tune Sasuke out. The younger Uchiha was pacing the floor in front of them, with an expression that she has never seen him wear before. He looked like a man trying to decipher one of the biggest mysteries of human existence while juggling six knives and attempting to avoid being hit by an approaching speeding train. Yup, he was that confused. And he wasn't saying a word, which was normal with Sasuke, yet the silence intermitted by the creaking emitted by Naruto's chair as he moved to and fro, paired with Ino's inhumane ability to stop her eyes from blinking; were giving Sakura major anxiety.

She suppressed a sigh, as she pondered her current situation. After Itachi's big announcement and her rather small statement of approval, everything started happening at the same time. On one side, Itachi and his parents retreated to address the implications of Itachi's decision. On another side, Shisui grinned like a Cheshire cat and everyone in the vicinity gave a collective gasp of disbelief that was by no means a good thing for Sakura's self-esteem. And on Sakura's side, the medic found herself being dragged all the way to the Uchiha's main house by an irate Sasuke, who proceeded to literally fling her onto his living room couch only seconds after Itachi and his parents disappeared into the Study to discuss their business. A few seconds later, Naruto stumbled in with Hinata on his shoulder, shortly followed by a gaping Ino who for once didn't get distracted by Sasuke's presence, and instead made a beeline for Sakura and proceeded to gawk.

Life was hard.

It truly was.

What could Sakura say, anyway?

How could she even begin to explain herself to Sasuke and the others? She pondered blatantly lying and saying that she fell for Itachi. After all, that was the only logical explanation for agreeing to marry him. And it wasn't like she could just tell them the truth about the mission and Akatsuki. So she actually had to act like she liked Itachi. *Yah, "_act".* _Inner Sakura said, adding air-quotes for good measures.

But Sakura wasn't paying any attention to her at the moment. Instead, she was worrying about Sasuke's reaction to something like that.

Suppressing another sigh, Sakura wondered if someone could actually explode after holding in so many sighs. This just couldn't be healthy.

Naruto rocked in his chair.

Ino's blue eyes stared unblinkingly at Sakura.

Sasuke paced.

Hinata enjoyed a lovely dream.

The chair creaked.

Ino still didn't blink.

Sasuke's footsteps echoed.

Hinata blushed in her sleep.

Ino still didn't blink…

"What the hell are you? An owl? Blink already for God's sake just BLINK!" Sakura finally snapped.

Ino didn't blink.

But Sasuke stopped pacing and looked at her.

*Uh. Oh.*

His eyes narrowed to slits, jaw tightening, as he spoke in a barely controlled tenor, "Why?" Was all he said.

Sakura looked at him and did her best to shove the guilt she felt away.

She gave a smile.

"We really like each other." She said simply.

Sasuke's eyebrow shot up, his face remaining impassive, as both Ino and Naruto gawked at Sakura.

"He was playing you, Sakura. It was his intention to fool you into believing he liked you. I told you this." Sasuke said, miraculously keeping his voice devoid of anger.

Sakura made her eyes look as sincere as possible when she spoke next.

"Sasuke, I am sure of both his feelings and mine." She said in a level tone. "We're getting married." She added, getting to her feet and looking Sasuke square in the eyes. It all came down to this, if Sasuke believed her, then Madara would too, and Itachi's plan will proceed smoothly. This was all for Sasuke, to protect him and those he loved. And for that, Sakura was willing to go to great lengths. "Sasuke, your support would really mean a lot to me." She finished, with a beckoning smile.

However, before Sasuke could consider his response, Naruto flew off the chair and onto his knees in front of Sakura, as he hugged her waist and started wailing.

"Noooo! Sakura-chan. Whyyy!" He screamed in despair as he moved Sakura along with him.

Sakura sighed, as Naruto latched on to her.

"He is playing you." Sasuke offered.

"No he is not, do you actually think he'd go this far just to stop you from dating me." She reasoned. "Sasuke, your brother isn't that bad."

Sasuke's expression darkened at her words, as Naruto fell back on his haunches and stared up at her.

"Who are you and what have you done to Sakura-chan?" He said eyes widening as he looked at her.

Sakura blinked.

"This is betrayal, Sakura." Sasuke said in a dark tenor. "And if you think that my brother truly loves you and is a good person, then you obviously aren't any smarter than the naïve twelve year old you once were." The younger Uchiha said bitingly, his demeanor haughty and detached.

Sakura's eyes widened.

Clenching her hands into fists, she breathed deeply to prevent herself from launching herself at her friend.

He knew nothing, and the way he felt was justified. But for the life of her, she couldn't help but want to punch him all the way to Suna.

"Listen you judgmental idiot, I know what I am doing and I also know who I'm marrying."

"He's evil." Naruto said still perched on the floor and looking from Sakura to Sasuke and vice versa.

"No he isn't." Sakura said solemnly.

"He brainwashed you, Sakura." Sasuke accused. "My brother would spare no effort to accomplish what he wants." He added taking a few steps almost threateningly towards the girl. "He is manipulative and you are gullible."

Sakura twitched with pent up rage.

"Say that again." She said darkly, as she walked around Naruto and covered the distance between her and Sasuke coming to a stop right in front of him and meeting his eyes dead on. "If I hear you say one more word about me or your brother, Sasuke-kun," She said in a spooky low tenor. "I will punch you in the face." She threatened, and Sasuke held her gaze, his eyes flashing threateningly.

As a response to his refusal to back off, Sakura channeled her chakra to her palms, ready to teach her friend a lesson. Yes, she was doing this all for him, but hell if she was going to stand there and listen as he calls her naïve and calls his brother evil.

The air was tense with threats of violence, misunderstandings and quickly augmenting Chakra, even Hinata seemed to sober up a bit, as both Ino and Naruto watched, transfixed by the approaching fight, However, before Sakura could launch her attack, she froze in place as a hand rested, almost too gently on her shoulder.

Sasuke who was standing right in front of her, took a few steps backwards and stared at the newcomer with a mixture of respect and rage.

Sakura looked up to see Itachi, eyeing his brother with a calm expression on his face, his arm still draped across her shoulders.

"I have recently finished negotiations with our parents." Itachi said in a familiar lilt. "The wedding will take place in two weeks' time." He added, shifting his eyes to Sakura who didn't really know what to do with her face at the moment. "Do you have a problem with that, Sasuke?"

Sasuke fell silent for a second. This was his brother, the one he loved, respected and idolized. And he was apparently marrying his best-friend who was his acting girlfriend for a while. This shouldn't bother him so much but it did. Partially, because Sakura was supposed to be his girlfriend and also because, in Sasuke's mind, Sakura wasn't his brother's. If anything, Sakura belonged to team seven, to him, Naruto and Kakashi and as far as he was concerned, his brother was none of these people.

Accordingly, Sasuke squared his shoulders. He never really opposed his brother before. Not even when he chose to drive away all his girlfriends. Mostly because on some level he knew that his brother loved him and wanted what was best for him. But at the moment, he really doubted that that was the case.

Letting his eyes bleed crimson, Sasuke spoke, "I do not approve of your relationship." He said simply, and as if on cue, Naruto jolted up and stood by his side.

"Neither do I." He seconded.

"How can you pursue her, knowing that we have a relationship?" Sasuke questioned in a hard tone.

"Yah, she's your brother's girlfriend." Naruto pitched, taking a step backwards just in case Itachi tried anything.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, still standing dangerously close to a now silent Sakura.

"I know you were not dating, Sasuke." Itachi said, his tone filled with confidence.

Sasuke's eyes widened, so did Naruto's.

"You told him?" Naruto almost screamed at Sakura.

Before Sakura could answer, the hand on her shoulder gently pressed against it, as Itachi opted to speak. "She didn't have to, Foolish Little Brother; your plan was rather obvious from the very first second."

Sasuke stiffened.

"However, you did bring us together. And for that, I am thankful." Itachi's voice shifted a bit at that last sentence; it was almost warm and devoid of the previous darkly amused and challenging tone. And as he spoke he drew Sakura close so that she was pressed against his side.

Sakura did her best to keep her expression neutral, however, she was a hundred percent sure that if they stopped talking for a second, they'd hear her heart beat.

For her part, Ino who was silently following the exchange choked on her own saliva and started coughing as she watched her friend and the Uchiha heir.

"This does not give you the right to do this." Sasuke challenged.

Naruto nodded.

"Sakura-chan is ours." He said and for the first time ever, Naruto's words actually echoed Sasuke's thoughts.

Sakura felt rather than saw the sexy as hell smirk that stretched across Itachi's face. And as she expected, his lilting tenor was hypnotizing as he spoke next, "I believe that Sakura has already chosen who she wants to be with." He intoned, taking Sakura's hand in his, and making sure that the ring on her finger was in clear view.

Sasuke and Naruto froze, while Ino continued to gawk.

"That's it." Sasuke said in a low yet dark tenor. "If you do this Aniki, then I want nothing to do with you again. From this day on, you are not my brother." He said darkly, eyes fixed on his brother.

"As you wish, Sasuke." Itachi intoned and Sakura's eyes widened.

"No, that's not…" She tried, but it was too late, Sasuke was already walking away with Naruto in tow.

The blonde made it half way to the door, before flinching as recollection hit him, and turning around only to fling a passed out Hinata across his shoulder and pause only long enough to throw a heart thawing look Sakura's way, before chasing after Sasuke once more.

.

Sakura sat back and sighed. She was completely deflated. How could a person deal with anything when life throws so much at them all at the same time? She was going through a range of emotions, the most pronounced of which were anger and confusion. Confusion: well how could she not be when she didn't even know how to feel about anything. After Sasuke made his grand declaration and walked out, Itachi was called for a meeting with the council and immediately left, leaving Sakura to walk out alongside Ino. He told her that he would talk to her the next day. And just like that, her encounter with the Uchihas was over for the day. That is of course, if you don't count the fact that Sakura was a hundred percent sure that Shisui was assigned to tail her and that once she gets to her apartment he'd be there. This kinda made her feel safer, in spite of everything, after Itachi's proposal; she has become Madara's number one target. Not a place where anyone wants to be, really.

Sakura was also upset, because she fought with Sasuke. She lost her temper, and didn't really manage the situation that well, and then Sasuke ended up saying some really mean things to his brother. A brother who was doing one hell of a job protecting him. Sakura was also mad at Itachi, for why on earth did he just have to go and spring things on her like that? Why couldn't he tell her what his plan entailed, instead of surprising her with the proposal? A part of her was flattered that he trusted her enough not to prep her and cram instructions down her throat, but another part, was thoroughly pissed.

Confused, upset, a little scared, angry, and sad. Yup, this was a night that called for drinks, lots of them.

And after a few hours of guzzling down anything that came in a glass, Sakura found herself looking up at Tenten and Ino as they both suddenly stood up in the middle of the bar and looked at her. At this point, Sakura was drunk enough not to find this weird at all. She struggled to her feet as well and looked at them. Hinata watched the exchange with a flush on her face, not caused by shyness.

"How did you do it?" Tenten questioned in awe.

Ino nodded, "I soo misjudged you Forehead, I thought you were a complete loser. But now I have to rethink eveeeverything, left is right, up is down, and big Foreheads and clown hair colors are sexy." Ino slurred.

"How did you do it?" Tenten repeated.

Sakura took a swig from the bottle she was holding. Sometime during the night, they have decided that glasses were too mainstream, and that was when portion control went out of the window. For her part, Sakura didn't mind that one bit, she really needed a break, and given that the girls were drinking under the pretext of celebrating her engagement, Sakura needed drinks that much more.

"This is so romantic, Sakura-chan." Hinata said, in a voice slightly higher than usual, courtesy of the liquor.

"Yup, too romantic." Tenten concurred.

"Give me a break; you don't have a romantic bone in your body." Ino said addressing Tenten, alcohol seemed to highlight her worst character traits. "I bet it's witchcraft." She suggested. "She has the kind of forehead suited for keeping up this giant cone-like hat that witches wear. I bet she's a witch and she put a spell on him. Yah. That's it."

The three drunken girls looked at Sakura for a second, as if expecting her to either verify or deny Ino's claim.

When Sakura only gave them a drunken smile as she swayed from side to side trying to find her balance, Ino sighed.

"You're not a witch, are you?" The blonde questioned.

Sakura giggled, yup, liquor made her giggly.

*No, you moron, that's the first stage, you get giggly then you get bitchy then you get really angry and then you randomly sleep.* Inner intoned, and Sakura giggled in response to her.

*You have pink hair.* Sakura pointed out goofily.

*Oh, Kami, what did I ever do to deserve this.* Inner whined.

"Teach meeeeeeeeeee!" Ino screamed, dropping to her knees in front of Sakura. "Teach me how to get men like you, Forehead!" She screamed, before pausing for a second and apparently realizing something. "Oh. My. God, is this an alternate universe?" She questioned looking around her in awe. "Wohooo! It's an alternate universe!" She screamed getting to her feet and running away.

Sakura raised an eyebrow and took a swig from her bottle before screaming after her friend, "Idioot! If it were an alternate universe, I'd be happy right now!" She screamed. "Who the hell runs like that anyway!"

*Hey, you moved right past giggly and into bitchy in mere seconds didn't you.*

*You look like a guy.*Sakura commented.

*I am you!* The inner noted in a bored tone.

Sakura's eyes widened, and inner retreated a few measured steps backwards.

*Hellooo, anger!* The inner said while Sakura's eyes gleamed with rage and everyone within the bar seemed to step backwards, as Sakura waddled across the bar in search of another bottle. "I'll kill you all!"

.

It was three in the morning, and he had just walked into his house not ten minutes ago. His day has been spent/wasted in clan meetings, trying to get them to approve of his next move. But as always, he got what he wanted after respectfully telling them in so little words, to go fuck themselves.

Stepping out of the shower, and putting on his pants, Itachi's honed senses caused him to straighten up as he felt a very familiar Chakra signature approaching. He extended his senses to feel for any kind of disturbance in the Chakra patterns, but found none.

Allowing a very rare smile to grace his sculptured features, the Uchiha prince stepped out of his room and down the stairs, he could have opened the door, yet he waited till the fumbling person, finally managed a decent knock.

Slowly, he pulled the door open.

*Mistake, Mistake, Mistaaaaaaake!* Inner Sakura screamed in Sakura's mind. *Too late.* She added as she watched the door open. *Oh. My. God. Does he work at night as a male stripper or something!* The alter ego exclaimed, jaw dropping to the floor at the sight of the Uchiha, long dark locks all damp and cascading freely down his exposed torso, as he leaned against the doorframe with a devilish grin on his face, watching as Sakura struggled to steady herself.

Sakura, however, was too busy focusing on her anger, and on putting one foot in front of the other, to care about anything else.

Stumbling back from the door, Sakura raised her eyes, to the amused onyxes watching her carefully.

"You!" She hissed, her brain addled with liquor. "You did this." She accused, doing an exaggerated hand gesture as if to refer to herself.

Itachi's smirk only grew, but he said nothing.

"I mean, who proposes to someone like that, anyway?" She questioned, reeling a bit as she wagged her finger at him. "You didn't even get on one knee. Who proposes without getting on one knee? You could ask me for anything, as long as you get on one knee. ANYTHING! And you… Didn't… do…. It…" She finished, spacing out the words, and whispering them as she moved closer to the Uchiha.

Itachi watched silently as Sakura poked him in the chest with her finger.

"What do you have to say to that, Mister?" She questioned, dazed emeralds locking with his.

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"Come inside, Sakura." He offered. More like ordered.

Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"NO!" She screamed flinching back like a mad person. "I don't wanna."

"Sakura, we can't talk like this." His lilting tenor echoed, smooth and seductive.

"Oh, no… No… No…. No, no, no, no no. You're not gonna use your….. Good looks and stupid sexy voice to distract me. I am mad at you!..." She reeled backwards a bit. "And I'm not coming inside."

*Idiot, do you realize what you just said?* Inner roared.

She didn't.

But the gleam in Itachi's eyes showed clearly that he did.

"Sexy voice." He parroted, mouth stretching into a smile.

Had she been sober, Sakura would have been doing a very good impression of Hinata at the moment. But as it stands, she wasn't.

"Yah…"

"You find my voice sexy?" He questioned.

Sakura took a moment to think.

"Damn your sexy voice!" She said dramatically, waving her hands around.

And even in her drunk state, Sakura went into shock at his reaction, for Uchiha Itachi, the Uchiha clan's heir, Sasuke's older brother, the legendary Anbu captain, Konoha's prodigy and the man whose face graces the first page of every Bingo book in the Shinobi world, this man out of everyone else in the whole world,…..…. Laughed.

A warm chuckle, that was both unassuming and heartening. His features becoming so utterly irresistible with the action.

Sakura swallowed, feeling the liquor evaporate from her body as she watched the man in front of her. He looked way too young right now. A young man, unburdened with responsibility and commitments.

Sakura pouted.

"I was being serious." She said childishly. "Why are you laughing at me?"

*Nope, the liquor's still there.*

Itachi regained his bearings, but his previous mirth was evident on his features.

"My apologies, Sakura." He said formally, his voice resounding with humor. "Now, will you come inside?"

"No." She said, folding her hands beneath her chest. "Not gonna."

"Sakura, I do not like to repeat myself and I already did two times." He said, looking a bit too mischievous for Sakura's own good.

Oblivious to the shift in his demeanor, Sakura eyed him impishly. "I don't wanna come inside, and you can't make me."

*Even I know that this was a stupid thing to say.*

Inner gulped as Itachi raised an eyebrow and smirked, and before Sakura knew what was happening he hoisted her over his shoulder and walked in, slamming the door behind him.

Sakura squirmed, but to no avail. Itachi only put her down when he reached the big white sofa in his living room.

Sakura pouted, shooting to her feet and glaring at the smirking Uchiha.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to do that?" She questioned, once again poking him with a finger to his chest.

"How much did you have to drink?" He questioned, catching her palm in his hand and raising it up to eye level, as if to contemplate it.

Inner swooned, while Sakura glared.

"Answer my question." She implored.

Without tearing his eyes away from her palm, Itachi spoke, "I needed your reaction to be natural, Sakura, especially since Madara was there. Had you expected the proposal he would have known that you were faking." He elaborated, tracing a thumb across her palm.

Even intoxicated, Sakura felt her heart beating fast.

"W… What are you doing?" She questioned, eyeing his thumb.

Itachi raised her hand up a little more and Sakura had to take a step closer to keep up.

"Such small hands, Sakura, yet you could inflict so much destruction." He said with a warm tone.

Now, Sakura did blush, snatching her hand away from him, she tucked it behind her back, as she retreated a few steps backwards, while Itachi watched with barely masked amusement.

"I know what you're doing," She declared, as she felt her hand tingle a bit where he touched her. Pushing that feeling to the back of her mind, she continued. "I won't be distracted." She added. "Today sucked, it was really bad, with Sasuke and Naruto and Ino, who you invited. It was really bad. And now everyone thinks we're getting married, and those people out there are out to get me…" She trailed off, as Itachi's expression hardened.

"I am sorry, Sakura." Itachi said solemnly.

Sakura twitched with all the unresolved emotions she's been carrying around for days now.

"You should be." She almost yelled.

Itachi looked as impassive and reserved as ever as he nodded, all traces of humor having abandoned his features.

"It is my fault you got involved, Sakura." He intoned.

Sakura was about to nod, but it didn't feel right.

"No…." She said in a small voice, feeling the impact of the alcohol weakening. "What are you talking about? This is not your fault at all." Now she really was yelling. "Do you actually think, any of this is your fault?" She questioned.

Itachi remained silent eyes locked with hers.

"What are you talking about? I got myself into that. And you suffered as much as I did, damn it." She screamed, the liquor making her more honest and louder than ever. "Your brother, the one you're doing all of this for said all those things to you, while you want nothing but to protect him. In my book, you're a great person." She concluded, voice dipping at the end, as if she just came to that realization. Itachi then watched as her eyes glistened with revelation. "You're so damn awesome, do you know that?" She questioned with a smile, and the Uchiha prince watched her closely, as she began to bounce up and scream. "You're awesoooooeeeee!" She screamed, for the world to hear. "YOU ARE AWESOOOOOOME!" She screamed again, jumping up and down.

Sakura, however, couldn't say that one more time; for before she knew it she was being pulled forwards, only to be slammed into Itachi's chest. His arms came up and wrapped around her securely, holding her in place and pressing her to his frame. He was surprisingly warm and Sakura found herself involuntarily closing her eyes and snuggling closer, leaning her head against his well-defined, and thoroughly exposed chest. She could feel his wet hair on her forehead. And a portion of her mind was absently drawn back to the first time she was encased in his arms, when she unceremoniously fell off the stairs and he caught her. But this time felt different, much different, as her shock and fear were now replaced with excitement and anticipation. His strong arms were the only things keeping her up, and as he held her even closer, Sakura lost all perception of reality.

*No you moron, don't fall asleep now.. No… No… I said noooo! Abort the last stage of your drunkenness, abort….. Damn youuuuuu!*

* * *

**Many many thanks to those who reviewed last time. You guys made me so happy.**

**Next one marks the beginning of the end. It's where all the action starts. **

**Three chapters to go ;)**

**Please Review. **


	20. Chapter 20

Sakura woke up with a monstrous headache. Stomping down the familiar stairs of Itachi's house, she felt like her head weighed a ton. She cursed her luck as every bone in her body took a turn aching. Why couldn't they all just ache at the same damn time and get it over with, why the carefully orchestrated medley of pain. *Damn it.*

Stopping in the middle of the staircase, Sakura was assaulted with memories of the last night. Yes, she has gotten herself drunk and came over to scream at Itachi. He must have taken pity on her and let her sleep in his bed. On his dark sheets that is. A part of Sakura was feeling too thrilled at having woken up on the silken sheets. *They were so smooth.* She purred.

*Honestly, is that all you remember?* Inner questioned irritably.

Sakura scratched her head.

*Well, I remember that we talked. He told me that he didn't tell me about the plan so that I would appear genuinely surprised in front of Madara.* Sakura said, happy with her sharp memory.

*Is that all you remember?* Inner questioned once more, seeming like she was about to throw a tantrum.

Sakura scowled.

*Pretty much.*

The alter ego balled her fists.

*How about a hug? Do you remember a hug that you ruined by stupidly falling asleep?* She hissed.

Sakura looked thoughtful.

*That was a dream, idiot. What sort of moron confuses dreams with reality like that? As if he'd really do that.* Sakura concluded, as she continued to struggle down the stairs.

*You **IMBECILE**.* the alter ego screamed after her other self.

But Sakura had eyes only for the familiar sight before her. Itachi was in his kitchen fiddling with dishes, and she stalked towards him. She felt memories of the last time he cooked for her come rushing back. They had cooked together, and danced together. Pushing the memory away, Sakura cleared her mind. No need for such impractical thoughts, the girl was knee deep in problems; she really didn't have the time to be daydreaming.

Squinting to see past the fog that covered her eyes courtesy of all the drinking, Sakura walked towards the kitchen.

Without even looking, Itachi said, "Good morning, Sakura." In his intoxicating voice.

"Good morning." Sakura said. After everything she's been though, she really didn't feel like being embarrassed.

Turning around, Itachi walked gracefully towards her, already fully dressed in Anbu gear, and Sakura had to take a second to school her thoughts into submission.

He placed two plates on the kitchen island, and taking the cue Sakura sat down and marveled at the plethora of mouthwatering smells that attacked her poor empty stomach.

Sitting down opposite from her, Itachi placed two cups of coffee in front of them, before putting a small white pill and a glass of water in front of Sakura.

Being a medic, Sakura instantly recognized it as the patented and very rare cure for hangovers developed by the good medics of Suna.

Sakura smiled gratefully, "Thank you." She said genuinely happy as she drowned the pill with some water. Only a few minutes now and she'd be rid of that nasty headache. *Wohooo!*

The medic silently placed a piece of pastry in her mouth and almost swooned at the deliciousness. Washing it down with a mouthful of coffee, Sakura finally decided to look at Itachi. Her breath hitched when she found him watching her with his chin resting on the palm of his hand.

She fumbled.

"Is the coffee to your liking, Sakura?" He questioned smoothly.

Sakura nodded quickly, almost too quickly. Yes, it was perfect, just the way she liked it. But then again, she didn't expect any less from him.

She fumbled once again under the weight of his seemingly amused gaze. Steeling herself, she spoke, "I am sorry." She said solemnly. Well it needed to be said.

"Sorry?" He parroted in his impassive yet somehow hypnotizing tone.

"About barging in here last night. Thank you for letting me sleep here." She added, with a little bow.

Itachi smiled and Sakura fidgeted again.

"You're welcome." He said simply.

*What the hell is wrong with me?* Sakura questioned mentally. She was acting weird around him, what with the fidgeting and the inability to hold his gaze for more than one second.

*Who knows? I mean who the hell knows. It's not like it's obvious or anything.*

Ignoring her inner, Sakura steeled herself once more, as she watched Itachi dig into his own food.

"So, why did you invite my friends yesterday?" She questioned.

"I needed people from outside the clan to be there, so as to spread the news of the impending nuptials. The attention such news will generate will urge him to move faster." Itachi answered in his efficient Anbu captain tone. He didn't even look up from his plate as he spoke.

Sakura nodded nonetheless.

Drowning a piece of scrambled eggs with a gulp of coffee, Sakura spoke again.

"So, how did it go with the clan? Do they know about Akatsuke and the plan?"

Itachi took a sip of his coffee, and gracefully put his cup down before answering.

"They know nothing of it." He said simply.

"And your parents?"

"They also don't know. This is a classified matter, Sakura."

"Then how is it that they approved of the whole marriage thing?" She questioned.

Itachi eyed her for a second, before smirking.

"I have my means, Sakura." He said with a mischievous smile that she couldn't help but return. "And add to that the fact that they have been edging me to get married for years." He elaborated.

Sakura smiled.

Yup, that made sense.

"Weren't they upset because you're marrying someone who wasn't an Uchiha? How come they approved of this?"

"I told you, Sakura, I have my means." He said in a smooth tenor.

"Right." She said with a nod. "So," She paused meeting his eyes. "Two weeks, hah? Do you think they'll make their move soon?"

"Hn." Was his non-answer.

"Well, they better, cuz if they didn't in those two weeks then…." She trailed off. *Then you'd marry him.* Inner Sakura said as she stood on top of some stairs and flung a flower bouquet backwards.

Sakura mentally rolled her eyes.

"Then what? Sakura. Do you not wish to marry me?" He questioned in all seriousness, and Sakura found herself fixed under his intense gaze. "Why is that?" He questioned, voice inexpressive.

Sakura gawked at him not knowing what to say. Yet before she opened her mouth he gave one of those heart thawing boyish smiles that made something inside her melt.

*He was teasing me.* She concluded, throwing him a disgruntled look.

"Very nice." She said sarcastically, as he smirked victoriously at her.

Sakura threw her nose in the air childishly.

Itachi's smirk only widened, something dangerous gleaming behind his onyx orbs.

"So you think that my voice is sexy, Sakura." He said without preamble.

Sakura choked on her coffee, and Itachi watched amusedly as her bright emeralds widened, her expression going from confused, to shocked, to flat out disbelieving.

*Did I say that to him?*

*Yup, ya sure did.* Her inner declared with an evil smile.

Sakura blushed, as Itachi watched her carefully.

Salvation came to the medic in the form of the charming yet sudden appearance of one Uchiha Shisui. Who just flickered into the room out of nowhere, causing Sakura to jump, and Itachi to give his cousin a bored look.

"Wow, Kitten, good to see you here." He greeted. "You two sure are taking the marriage thing seriously." He commented with a wink Sakura's way.

"What! I just… I…." She stuttered. *You just got drunk and stumbled into his home, after calling his voice sexy.*

Shisui grinned.

"He knows what happened, Sakura. He was assigned to shadow you." Itachi elaborated, before throwing his cousin a disapproving look.

Shisui grinned even harder, looking between the two and throwing winks Sakura's way.

"Why are you here, Shisui?" Itachi questioned, obviously unimpressed.

Shisui rubbed his neck flashing a sheepish smile.

"Well, little cousin, I'm glad you asked," He started sounding formal. "Actually I am here to ask you if you wanted to join me in a threesome with a really gorgeous girl."

"No." Itachi said without missing a beat.

Sakura blinked in confusion.

"She's really hot and has a pair of…"

"No."

"W… Why would you want him there?" Sakura questioned despite herself. This was a whole new level of awkward right there.

Shisui smiled, puffing his chest and obviously thrilled at the opportunity to elaborate. He didn't get many of those around Itachi.

"Good question, Kitten. Now, while I would have loved to keep her all to myself, this girl has been blocking all my advances for months now, she only agreed to sleep with me if Itachi were to be there as well. I guess she was prompted by the fact that he was getting married and her time to make a pass at him was limited." He explained.

Sakura blinked. "Oh." Was all she managed.

"Soooo…." Shisui drawled.

"No." Itachi deadpanned.

The elder Uchiha pouted.

"How about you kitten," He started addressing Sakura.

"What exactly are you asking me?" Sakura hissed, feeling her temper flaring.

"Easy, Kitten, I was just asking if you could use your position at the hospital to procure a medical certificate for me." He said waving a hand in front of him and pouting innocently as he sat next to Itachi and started noshing on his food.

Sakura raised an eyebrow, while Itachi actively ignored his cousin.

"What sort of certificate?" She questioned.

"I'm glad you asked." He declared happily.

"I'm sorry I asked." Sakura deadpanned, but it was too late, Shisui was already preparing to launch into his response.

"Well, my dear cuddly Kitten," He started and Sakura twitched as he winked at her. "This is actually what I came here for. I need you to use an official document to write the following: 'We, the very professional medics of Konoha's Genral Hospital, have examined Uchiha Shisui and ascertained that he suffers from a rather rare condition. This condition causes him to be awesome in bed. Really awesome, he just never stops. He goes on and on and….."

"Shisui." Itachi hissed, and his cousin turned his eyes towards him with an innocent expression on his face, while Sakura took the time to fight down a blush and work on getting angry at him.

"What?" He questioned harmlessly.

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"Get out." He ordered his cousin in an impassive voice.

Shisui opened his mouth to protest, yet closed it right away after taking in Itachi's tone.

"Well, come on kitten, we're not welcome here anymore." He said teasingly, as he got to his feet.

Sakura gave him a confused look.

"I am your escort for the day, I can't leave without you."

"I only kicked _you_ out, Shisui." Itachi intoned.

Shisui blinked, feigning hurt.

"Well she still has to come with me. I can't leave her alone. And by the way, why are you so mean, little cousin?"

Itachi ignored him, watching Sakura as she got to her feet.

"It's fine, I kinda need to get going too. I've bothered you enough." She said courteously. *And you'd have to face what you said yesterday if you stayed.* Inner pitched in helpfully. "Thank you for everything." She added with a smile.

Itachi nodded.

"What are your plans for the day, Sakura?" Itachi questioned.

"Well…" She started but was interrupted by Shisui.

"Wedding dress shopping with Mikoto-sama." The playboy said matter of factly.

Sakura gave him a questioning look.

"I was just over there for breakfast, she said she'd come to your house today so that the two of you could go out to look for a dress since you're on a very tight schedule. I told her I'll inform you and escort you to the main house." He elaborated. "It was hilarious, though. When Sasuke heard her say that he choked on his rice-ball and then tried to pass it off as a normal cough." Shisui added, chuckling at the memory.

Sakura deflated.

"Great." She said pursing her lips. *Just great, I get to spend the entire day with Itachi's very nice mom who I'm deceiving, looking for a dress that I'll never wear. Just perfect.*

Casting a glance at Itachi, Sakura sighed, and was greeted by an amused look, and the statement, "Have a good day, Sakura."

He was teasing her again. It was as if he read her thoughts. The bastard.

Sakura nodded before turning and walking towards the door.

*So help me God, I'll never complain about my life being too normal again. I love normal, I'll ask normal to marry me.*

*Normal would refuse.* Inner deadpanned, and got kicked in the face for her troubles.

.

Sakura had spent the better part of the day trying on wedding dresses with Itachi's mother. In the beginning she was filled with trepidation, but getting to try on lovely, white, flowy, princess dresses while everyone beams at you, left very little room for unhappiness.

As always, Mikoto was calm, graceful and poised. And something about her called Itachi to mind. Their general demeanor was rather similar. Despite the fact that Mikoto was more on the talkative side, and tended to smile more often.

In no time Mikoto's kind tone, warm smiles, and encouraging words, had Sakura completely at ease.

By 3 in the afternoon, the two women made their way to a small bistro to get something to eat. After all, they needed to celebrate the fact that they just located the most perfect dress ever. Not even the most cynical person in the world could hold themselves back from melting at the sight of the lovely strapless white gown. As hard as this was for Sakura to say, it made her feel like a princess, and she loved it. And while the two waited for the gown to be fitted for Sakura's particular brand of *Boobless charm.* The two opted for a nice dinner.

"I am glad you are with Itachi, dear. I always worried about him. He has always been withdrawn, never allowing anyone in." Mikoto had said, after their orders were taken. And Sakura had wished that she wouldn't share anything intimate with her since it would make it that much worse when the woman learned the truth.

At one point in time the graceful lady had pointed out that she knows that Sasuke and Sakura never dated. And when Sakura gave her a shocked expression, the woman gave a disarming smile, before saying, "You didn't seem any different, Sakura-dear. It was just like old times, I knew something was not in place." She had said in a calm tenor.

The conversation then drifted to the subject of wedding preparations, and how lovely Sakura looked in her dress.

By the time they were done, Sakura was totally relaxed, despite all her expectations; she has had a very good time.

Smiling brightly, Mikoto hugged her "future daughter in law", as they prepared to go their separate ways, for Mikoto had to attend to clan business, while Sakura had to go pick up her dress.

Drawing back, the Uchiha matriarch kept an arm on Sakura's shoulder, as she smiled fondly at her and held her gaze.

"Be safe, my child." She had said enigmatically, before gracefully turning around and walking away.

Gawking at the woman's retreating figure, Sakura and Inner Sakura came to the same conclusion. *she knows!*

.

Half an hour later, Sakura was walking side by side with Shisui who was holding her wedding dress for her. As her escort, Shisui had volunteered to carry her dress home for her after taking her to the bathhouse where she was supposed to meet Ino and the other girls. Even though this wasn't planned and she only received Ino's invitation a few hours ago, she was glad to get such an opportunity to unwind and take some time to herself.

She and the Uchiha were walking side by side, enjoying some companionable silence in which Shisui checked out the women who were throwing daggers Sakura's way courtesy of the fact that they have recently found out that her snagging of the most eligible bachelor was now made official. For her part, Sakura pondered the amount of danger she was in at the moment.

*I'm not even scared.*

*That's because you are a moron, sent to me as a test of faith and fortitude.* Inner replied.

Sakura sighed.

She's never been, nor wanted to be anything but a Kunoichi, and a Kunoichi lived and breathed danger. The life she chose made for being constantly alert even in the most neutral of environments, for anyone could attack her at any time. At least now she knew who was after her.

Inhaling greedily, Sakura spoke, "I think Mikoto-sama might be onto us." She shared.

Shisui's head snapped towards her, and for a second she thought he was shocked, however a second later he started chuckling softly.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she were. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if she knew about the whole thing before I even knew." The elder Uchiha said in his patented easy tenor.

Sakura blinked.

"Who do you think told her?" She questioned.

Shisui shook his head.

"No one." He said simply. "You know, when we were kids we used to think that she could read minds. Sasuke and I alongside all the kids would do our best not to think any bad thoughts around her, because she'd just know." He said smiling fondly. "Even now, I believe she's capable of great telepathic deeds." He finished winking at Sakura.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"She's really smart. Such a remarkable lady isn't she?" She stated.

Shisui nodded with a wolfish grin.

Sakura sighed.

"So why is she playing along then? She even knew about me and Sasuke's plan and also played along."

"I don't think she has a reason to call us out on this, especially if she knows why we're doing it."

"Do you think Fugako-sama knows?" Sakura questioned.

Scanning a couple of blonds giggling as they passed by, Shisui answered, "Definitely not." He paused for a second. "Hey, Kitten, girls aren't reacting to the sight of me carrying a wedding dress as well as I thought they would."

She narrowed her eyes.

"How exactly did you expect them to react?"

"Well throwing themselves at my feet and asking me to make an honest woman out of them, did come to mind." He said with a boyish smile.

Sakura sighed.

"You're unbelievable."

"Well, thank you, kitten. I believe you're the first woman to ever say that to me in broad day light." He said winking at her.

The girl rolled her eyes.

"I owe you an apology." She said, attempting to change the topic of conversation.

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "Actions speak louder than words then. You can always make it up to me." He said, his compulsive flirtiness taking control.

Sakura glared at him.

"You didn't even ask me, why I owe you an apology." She hissed.

He gave a dramatic sigh.

"Why, Kitten?" He questioned.

"That day when we were trying to get dinner, you told me that I shouldn't judge Itachi-san without knowing him and that he was a good person." She admitted. "At the time I didn't believe you, but now I know that you were right." She finished with a smile.

Shisui gave her a knowing look, that spoke of so many unsaid words.

"Well, that's no surprise, I'm always right." He said raising his nose up haughtily in a mischievous manner.

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No you're not."

"Fine, I'm not, now give me a kiss on the cheek to make up for it."

Sakura blinked.

"How does that even make sense?"

"I don't know, I just thought it would be worth a shot." He said with a lecherous wink.

She sighed.

"Hopeless."

He grinned, as they arrived in front of the bathhouse.

"I'll leave now, Kitten, and I'll be back shortly. You can stay as long as you want but don't come out until you feel my presence." He said, sounding like a pure professional. Sakura had to blink her eyes to make sure that he was the same person.

She nodded.

"But aren't there other people guarding me?"

He nodded.

"Yes, we have twelve Anbu scattered around the area. And our people have already scanned the bathhouse for any signs of foul play only a few minutes ago. We also have a member of the police force in the women's side of the place and another in the men's. There is nothing to worry about, Kitten, however, I would still prefer it if you don't go anywhere without me." He elaborated.

She nodded again.

"Alright, I won't leave until you're back."

He grinned. "I'll just drop your dress back home, and deliver my report to the Hokage. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes." He offered, before giving her a wink and literally disappearing from view.

Sakura threw an admiring glance at the place where he stood.

And to think that only a few weeks ago, she hadn't even known him.

.

Walking towards the door to the bathhouse, Sakura froze to her spot as she heard screams and loud banging noises. Her hackles rose, and she could tell that the Anbu hidden around the place have also assumed battle ready stances.

However, a second later, Sakura's tension deflated as she watched a mass of orange being flung by a particularly large woman, outside of the bathhouse.

"And don't you come back." The woman screamed.

Naruto rolled around on the floor.

"I didn't even know this was the women's side." He screamed back. "Not fair." He complained.

"Yah right." Sakura said giving him a teasing glance.

Realizing whose voice it was, Naruto straightened up and looked at her, his eyes growing warm and almost apologetic.

"Hey." Sakura said with a smile. Yes, unlike Sasuke, Naruto was the kind of person who can't stay mad for a long period of time. He always found a way to accept the people he loved no matter who they are or what they have done. And right now, Sakura just knew that he came to apologize for the other day's scene in the Uchiha residence.

"Hi." He said with an apologetic smile. "Sakura-chan, I am really s….."

"Don't apologize, Naruto. I was the one who shocked you guys by my actions. You were entitled to some sort of reaction." She said with a kind smile.

Naruto blinked, keeping silent for a second as he regarded her with a genuine look to his eyes. On second thought, Naruto's eyes always looked genuine. It was one of the things she loved the most about him. He was always true to himself, and he did everything in his power to be true to his friends. Sakura smiled at him, and to think that when they were kids she didn't like him. What the hell was she thinking? If anything, Naruto was the glue that kept team seven together, his energy and hard word inspired them all, even Sasuke who'd never admit it. And if any of them even entertained the thought of straying away from the team, this person knew for a fact that Naruto would never give up on him. He would never give up on any of them.

"But, we've been very mean to you, Sakura-chan." He said kindly. "I have been thinking that if someone came to me and acted all mad about me dating Hinata-chan I would be very upset." He paused eyeing her understandingly. "It's just that he's too strong. Me and Teme won't be able to take him. He'd kick our asses again if we tried to. But if that's what you want, Sakura-chan, then I want you to know that I always have your back. And if he ever hurt you, me and the Teme will give it our all, I am sure that we could take him if we ask Kakashi-sensei to help…. And Ero-senin…. And Neji… Maybe Shikamaru too… Nah, he'd say it was too troublesome and Choji would just eat chips and watch us get our asses kicked. I know… I'll ask Lee and Kiba to help us too."

Sakura blinked back a couple of heartfelt tears.

"Thank you, Naruto." She said with a grateful smile. "This really means a lot to me."

As he always does when faced with an emotion laden moment, Naruto erupted into a mass of energy.

"Yosh." He said fist bumping the air. "I'll go beat some sense into the Teme. He's still sulking about it, but I promise you Sakura-chan, that he'll come around." Naruto promised.

Sakura gave him a loving smile, "You don't have to do that, Naruto…"

"I'll go right now!" He exclaimed as he started running away. "Oh, congratulations, Sakura-chan." He said turning around mid-run to beam at her before turning back around and running away.

*Typical Naruto.*

.

Pushing the door open Sakura walked into the bathhouse and immediately felt relaxed. The place smelled of freshly cut wood, hot steam, and cleanliness. Best smells ever.

After receiving her towels, soap, a plastic hair cover, and other bathing requirements, Sakura Smiled at the big receptionist who just flung Naruto halfway across the place, and walked into the dressing area.

Random women were walking by, getting changed and minding their own business.

She put her items down on the bench and prepared to take her clothes off.

"Haruno-senpai." She heard a vaguely familiar voice greet.

Sakura raised her eyes only to see a woman that she has never really been fond of. This was because when they were young, this woman chased Sasuke around like he was a piece of meat; she was obsessed, even more than Ino (If that was even possible). But now that she thinks about it, Sakura no longer had a reason to detest her anymore. And if anyone knew about putting up with Sasuke-crazed fans it was Sakura. Not to mention that the girl has been in her class for months now, and hasn't done anything to antagonize Sakura.

Keeping all of this in mind, Sakura plastered a professional smile on her face and greeted the girl.

"Karin-san." She said with a nod.

Karin's eyes focused on Sakura as she took a few steps towards her, causing her bright red hair to flutter around her with the motion.

*Her hair is redder than ours. I hate her.* Was inner's view on the subject.

"I have heard of your intended matrimony to Uchiha-Taicho." The girl spoke in her customary formal, yet slightly deranged tone. "Isn't his brother quite amazing though?" She added, losing her formal tone and twisting around like a love struck little girl, before coughing and reassuming her professional demeanor. "I take it you are here for pre-wedding relaxation. I have already seen your friends walk in." She stated, now back to cold and aloof.

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

Yup, now that she thinks about it, it wasn't that she liked Sasuke that made Sakura dislike her. It was that the girl was weird as hell, fluctuating between moods like she was made of mercury.

"Ah, yes, I'm meeting my friends here to relax and…"

"I have enjoyed your class." Karin said, adjusting her glasses along the bridge of her nose.

Sakura blinked at the quick change of subject. But chose to go along: "I am quite happy with your progress so far, your natural medical abilities are quite impressive and they can only grow with practice."

"Bite me." Karin said.

Sakura almost jumped backwards in surprise.

"What?" She questioned in sheer confusion.

Karin looked unmoved.

"You only have to bite me and your chakra will be restored. That's how I heel people. But I wanted to learn more about medicine, that's why I'm taking the class."

"Righhhht." Sakura said, a little thrown off by the woman's antics and very efficient way of talking.

"I no longer have to hate you." Karin stated matter of factly.

"Sorry?"

"Since you are marrying his brother, I can conclude that you have no interest in him. Which means that we are no longer enemies. Unless marrying his brother is a desperate ploy to get close to him, at which point I will murder you." Karin said darkly, before beaming happily. "Isn't he the best though, did you see his body, I saw him shirtless once, I almost passed out. Oh, I just wanna squeeze him." She launched once more into a fangirling fit. "We're no longer enemies though." The redhead finished.

Sakura blinked.

"Good to know." She said, eyes wider than normal, as if that would help her keep track of Karin's moods. "I'll go inside now." The medic finished. This was getting way too weird even by her standards.

"Aren't you going to take your clothes off first?" The woman pointed out.

Sakura gave her a sheepish smile.

"I'll change inside," *Because who knows what kind of comments we'd get by changing in front of her.* Inner Sakura continued the thought.

On that note, Sakura gave her a weirded out goodbye and a nice to see ya, before walking towards the bathing areas.

Sakura stood behind the screen door separating her from the baths, she raised her arm to open the door, but something caused her senses to tingle. Something was off; pausing for a moment she realized that it was way too quite in there.

Sakura put her bathing supplies down, and reached for a Kunai from her pocket, just in case. She slowly peeled the screen door open, and was greeted by a whiff of steam.

Sakura's eyes widened, as she forcefully stopped herself from breathing.

*This gas is….*

Sakura didn't get to continue her thought though, as a hand pushed her right in, falling to her knees Sakura couldn't help but breathe, *Sleeping gas.*, and that was the last thing she thought before she lost all semblances of consciousness.

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**And the action officially begins…. **

**2 more chapters to go :D**

**I wonder what happened to Sakura…**

**Please Review. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Once again the site won't let me reply to reviews :( I was actually supposed to post this chapter yesterday, but I pushed it till today in hopes of getting to reply. But since it doesn't seem to be budging, here is the new chapter :D And many many thanks to the awesome people who reviewed the last time ;)**

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Her Hair fluttered in the merciless wind. It was cold, really cold; she almost couldn't feel her face. But she knew that she was moving. It felt like she was riding a carrousel. Spinning really fast in the air; Sakura was tempted to raise her hands up and wave them, as colors and shapes filled her vision. It was a park of some sort, with lots of rides and little stands selling all sorts of goodies. They also had those little stands where you can test your strength and win something for that special someone. Maybe she should go there next. She sure was in the mood for Tempura. And so she decided that the second she was done with the ride she was on, she was going to get something to eat and watch as people make fools of themselves while trying play with that funny clown over there.

*Idiot, wake up.* Inner's voice echoed, as she materialized in front of Sakura, moving alongside of her as the carrousel spun.

Sakura blinked.

*Why do you always have to ruin my fun? And what have you become, some kind of bird. Since when do you flutter and appear out of nowhere? You know what, don't answer that, just get out.* Sakura ordered.

*Just where do you think you are?*

*A park, I suppose.*

*And why the hell would you be in a park?* Inner questioned irritably. *Weren't you just at a bathhouse and don't you remember falling asleep after sniffing that weird gas?*

Sakura eyes widened.

*Yes, I…. I was in the bathhouse and there was this gas..*

*So original, get your own lines will ya.* Inner hissed.

*The chemical was mixed in with the hot water to get this particular brand of sleeping gas. And once I inhaled the smoke….. Wait, someone pushed me.* Sakura pondered frantically.

*Yes, someone pushed you in the damn gas, but haven't you been sniffing this stuff in small amounts for years to develop tolerance?* Inner questioned.

Sakura blinked.

*That's true, it's probably why I'm waking up right now.*

*If you're waking up right now, then why the hell are your eyes still closed, and why are you still flung on someone's shoulder like a backpack of some sort?* Inner hissed. *I have a public image to maintain you idiot, now wake up and find out who's that moron who kidnapped us.*

Sakura did as told, except that she didn't really have to open her eyes to see who it was. It was someone who had a very unique and almost unparalleled ability when it comes to Chakra manipulation. Someone who could detect the presence of people from miles away and also detect their number and the skills they possess. Someone who would have been more than capable of repressing their chakra completely, so that even the most skilled Anbu wouldn't notice it when they scanned the bathhouse, and last but not least someone who had the chemical knowledge and prowess to mix in the chemicals needed to create the sophisticated sleeping gas that Sakura fell victim to.

Opening her eyes, Sakura's suspicions were verified as she was greeted by the sight of red hair fluttering around her as Karin sped on at an inhuman speed.

Frowning in concentration, Sakura knew that she had to time her move perfectly, and act before the woman beneath her figured out that she has managed to overcome the sleeping potion. Keeping her eyes semi-closed, Sakura looked around her and was relieved to find no other signs of life in the immediate surroundings. *No accomplices.* Sakura concluded. This gave her more wiggle room, except for the fact that she was in a debilitated state courtesy of the sleeping gas.

Taking a breath of cold air, Sakura promptly moved one arm and placed it at the girl's lower back, channeling as much Chakra as she could manage into it, and almost instantaneously pushing against the girl's back as she flung her upper body backwards. Within an instant Sakura was soaring in the air, only to land rather clumsily a few feet away from the redhead. Sakura reeled a bit, yet managed to steady herself and assume a battle ready position.

Karin spun around on her heel looking every bit as surprised as she felt.

"You were supposed to stay asleep for days." She remarked pushing her glasses up.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, "Why are you doing this?" She questioned, looking around her, only to realize that they were no longer in Konoha, but in the midst of the woods, standing beneath giant trees.

Karin eyed her with a haughty expression.

"I was ordered to bring you in." The woman said, her eyes now gleaming with her particular brand of malice. That brand of wacky malice that she assumed every time she talked about Sasuke.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"You work for Akatsuki?" Sakura questioned, surprised.

"THAT'S NONE OF YOUR CONCERN." The semi, if not completely, crazy woman said, as she prepared to launch herself at Sakura.

Now in normal situations, Sakura would have been able to tackle her in a heartbeat. Since Karin's abilities when it came to hand to hand combat were rather limited compared to Sakura's. However, in her current state of inebriation, Sakura was at a disadvantage.

Knowing this full well, Sakura waited until Karin raised her foot off the ground in preparation for the attack. At that particular second, when the woman was most imbalanced the medic aimed a chakra laden fist at the ground, it shattered underneath her fist; however the product was barely a crack.

Nonetheless, it did the trick as the redhead lost her balance for the briefest of instances. Taking advantage of that, Sakura launched herself forwards fully intending to flash step behind Karin and knock her out by hitting a pressure point on her back so as to use the least amount of energy.

However, Sakura's control over her chakra gave out only a mere inch away from Karin, giving the woman the opportunity to regain her balance and deliver a punch that launched Sakura right into a tree. The girl heard her rib crack, feeling the sobering pain radiate all throughout her body.

She might have been training herself to withstand all sorts of chemicals, but withstanding them was one thing, fighting under their influence was a completely different thing.

Sakura watched, as Karin's expression turned feral. The woman walked towards her almost languidly, as she basked in her easy victory.

It was at that point that Sakura dropped her hold over her Chakra, allowing it to seep out of her and radiate all over the place. Normally, this was a rather foolish thing for a shinobi to do, the first rule of being a shinobi was to maintain a firm hold on your Chakra at all times so that no one could feel your presence without straining for it. And through years of practice, constantly keeping the lid on her spiritual presence became an ingrained habit. However, at the moment Sakura needed to attract attention to herself. She knew that given who would be looking for her at the moment, this was her best bet.

Karin flinched, as Sakura's Chakra rolled around them in waves. She knew what the girl was doing, and so her slow and deliberate walk became more urgent, as she drew a Kunai and raced towards the girl.

Unable to master enough control over her muscles to parry the attack, Sakura watched helplessly as the woman closed in on her. Breathing an urgent breath, Sakura's emerald eyes widened as the knife was inches away from her…. And then stopped.

Tearing her gaze away from the imposing blade, Sakura looked upwards, and knew even before she saw that he was there.

Karin's breath came raggedy and strained, her eyes impossibly wide, as she stared up at the man who was holding her wrist in an iron grip.

She knew that she needed to avert her eyes away from his, yet his presence demanded that she looks right at him, his eyes transfixed her, and it was as if she could touch her impending doom.

However, before anything else could transpire, Itachi looked up, senses on high alert, and in a second, Sakura found herself being heaved up into the man's arms as he flashed upwards onto a tree branch.

Sakura gulped as she watched a stream of Kunai knives marking the tree against which she just lay. She averted her eyes just in time to watch Karin's eyes widen in a moment of intensified pain, before she fell to the floor.

Acting on her instincts as a medic, and summoning every ounce of her energy, Sakura flash stepped out of the safety of Itachi's arms. And before Karin had hit the floor she was in front of her, catching her and laying her across her knees, as she shifted her attention to the five knives sticking out of her back, all having hit key organs.

The second Sakura hit the ground, Itachi was right beside her, eyes an ominous crimson, scanning the area for intruders. Sakura watched the tension in his body alleviate, and concluded that whoever it was that delivered this treacherous attack is long since gone.

No one said a word, as Sakura did everything in her power to heal the girl. She removed the Kunai and used pieces of the girl's own clothing to stop the bleeding, just in case she couldn't heal the wounds as fast as she would want. Having ensured that the girl wasn't losing any more blood, Sakura started streaming her Chakra into her body to try and remedy the widening abrasions that extended well into her vital organs.

Sakura's Chakra was much less controlled and concentrated than it normally was. Yet, the girl still was one of the top medics around and even in her current state; she was gaining some serious ground here.

Itachi stood silently watching Sakura, eyes fixed on her hands, as they moved deftly and familiarly through various healing techniques. She might not be able to move or fight at the moment, but healing was another thing. It was her calling and her passion. And she had long since vowed that she'd never let anyone die in front of her without trying her best to save them, regardless of who this person might be.

Seconds passed like years, and Sakura felt the approach of a number of people.

Stealing a sideway glance at Itachi, his still relaxed posture assured her that the people approaching were on their side.

A fraction of a second later and Anbu flashed into her line of sight, they were all around. Itachi gave them orders to scan the area and report back to him. However, Sakura's whole attention was on the task at hand, the woman bent over across her knees, this woman who just attempted to kill her, only to end up putting her life in her hands. Such irony.

"Sakura," Itachi's voice finally echoed and it was as if all the suffering and hardships of the day never happened. For an instant there, as she sat on the ground covered in bruises and blood, and a severely injured woman in her arms; Sakura was happy, truly happy and thoroughly relieved.

Sakura didn't look up from her task, her Chakra as steady as she could get it to be.

"This is our Anbu medic," He said in his forever confident tone. "You have done more than enough to guarantee her survival. Now he will take on for you." Itachi intoned.

Sakura drew in a deep breath, as the man in an Anbu mask dropped to his knees beside her, his hands glowing with a level of Chakra that she deemed enough to finish the task that she started.

Sakura nodded to the masked man, and he started streaming his Chakra alongside of hers. Once she was absolutely sure that he was doing what needed to be done, and that he has completely spread his Chakra to where it needs to be; Sakura withdrew her own Chakra.

Another Anbu member slowly lifted Karin off of Sakura's knees, and before the dazed Sakura could think of a response, she was being gently hoisted up into now familiar and comforting arms.

Itachi held her up, with her side pressed to his chest. Meanwhile, another medic hastily and rather efficiently healed her broken rib.

Looking down at her, he spoke, "Are you OK, Sakura?" He questioned, a palpable hint of concern marring his normally inexpressive voice.

Sakura flashed a weak smile.

"I'm awesome." She said straining to give him a thumbs up.

He gave her an exasperated look, and she gave him a sheepish grin in return.

"I am taking you to the hospital." He intoned.

"How about…" She started.

"The teams are already looking for them. However, chances are, they are long since gone." He answered her unasked question.

"I really don't need to go to the hospital," She said. "My rib's already fixed, and I only have a few bruises. I should be OK, once the effects of the gas wear off…"

Sakura trailed off as Itachi's eyes turned an imposing shade of black.

"Hospital it is." She said humorously.

Itachi gave her another strict look, obviously disapproving of how lightly she was taking her wellbeing.

Relieved, Sakura let Itachi lead her out of the forest and back into Konoha.

.

"I could have never guessed that Karin worked with Akatsuki." Sakura said as the two rounded a corner.

"Hn." Itachi said. "We knew that they had moles." He supplied.

Sakura nodded. She was now walking on her own, since the effects of the gas had almost completely worn off.

Eyeing Itachi, Sakura felt something unsettling flutter through her stomach. Far from his normal easy grace, the Uchiha heir looked like he was still battle ready, and expecting an attack at any minute.

"What is wrong?" She questioned.

Itachi raised an eyebrow; very few people could tell when something was wrong with him. And up until now, those people were only Uchiha.

"It was too easy, Sakura." He said in a deep tenor, as if contemplating his own words.

Sakura blinked, yet she didn't have time to talk as the two found themselves standing in front of the hospital. Sakura's second home. And even without stepping inside Sakura knew from years of experience that something was wrong, there was too much motion too much intensity. Itachi seemed to feel it too, as his expression turned darker.

Walking a little faster, Sakura stepped through the door, and the moment she did a nurse came bounding up to her.

"Sakura senpai, thank God you're here, we need you. They're bringing him out right now; they're taking him to surgery." The girl spoke and Sakura's eyes widened. *He?*

A second later, Sakura glimpsed the edge of a stretcher being rolled out; however, her eyes were instantaneously drawn to Kakashi who was standing amongst the people obscuring the stretcher's occupant. Kakashi had eyes only for the person on the stretcher, and before she could think, Shisui was right in front of them, addressing Itachi.

"They've got Sasuke." Were the words that made Sakura's heart constrict, a bitter taste rising in her throat. "The whole thing with the bathhouse was a distraction to be able to abduct him. We arrived too late, the fight was already over and he was gone. Uzumaki was with him at the time, he's severely injured, we've brought him in." Shisui finished, addressing the last part to Sakura whose heart was beating so hard, she could hear it in her ears.

Like a scene from a horror movie, Sakura cut her eyes back to the stretcher only to see Naruto.

Without thinking, Sakura flung herself forwards and got to his side, not even knowing how. The nurses around him stepped back, and Kakashi gave her a sympathetic look, as he looked between his two students.

The girl looked down at her lively and forever cheerful teammate, now drenched in his own blood. She could feel pain spreading across her chest. She immediately raised her arms to start healing him, yet the second she did, his fingers wrapped around her wrist, blue eyes coming to life.

"Sakura-chan…" His voice was weak, a heart-breaking ghost of its normal exuberance.

"Rest Naruto….." She started.

"They've got Sasuke." He said echoing Shisui's declaration. Yet his voice and eyes were both pleading and apologetic. He lost his teammate, he felt guilty for it, guilty for letting both Sasuke and Sakura down, and he wanted nothing more than to get up and fight right now.

Sakura knew full well how he felt. Valiantly suppressing the bitter tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, Sakura drew in a calming breath.

"It's not your fault, Naruto." She said in full confidence. "We'll get him back." She promised, fully intending on doing whatever it may take.

His fingers tightened around her wrist, lips twisting in a semblance of a smile, before his face contorted once again, "They said something weird." He reiterated.

"What did they say?" Sakura questioned.

"They said that the only way to get him back was to give you to them in exchange." Naruto said weakly, his voice breaking in both despair and disbelief. At his words everyone seemed to tense up, completely freezing.

"That's enough." Came a commanding voice that everyone knew too well. It was the commanding, no nonsense tone of the Godaime Hokage herself. Everyone seemed to straighten up as the woman appeared. "I'll take care of fixing him up, Sakura." The woman said confidently. "You need to rest."

"But…"

"GO!" She ordered. "Shisui, escort her to get treatment then to the Hokage tower." She pushed on, hands already glowing with Chakra, as Sakura noticed that Itachi had left the second the Hokage arrived. "Everyone else be in my office in one hour." She finished, before gesturing for them to wheel Naruto away, as Shisui, Kakashi and Sakura watched.

It was Kakashi's arm on her shoulder that drew her attention to the pain in his exposed eye.

"Let's go, Kitten." Came Shiusi's soft command.

.

Sakura stood behind the door to the Hokage's office. It was nighttime already, and behind the door the second meeting of the day was taking place. And for some reason, Sakura was excluded from both meetings. The girl theorized that it was because they think she'll get extra emotional in a situation like that. Throughout the day, Sakura has been treated, force-fed and ordered to stay put within the confines of the Hokage tower until Shisui escorts her someplace else.

And right now, she was feeling well. At least physically, because on the emotional level, Sakura was a wreck. The only thing keeping her up at the moment was the fact that she knows that her teammates needed her. They depended on her, and if Naruto was conscious at the moment he would be raising hell to get in on the action.

She might not be Naruto, but she was willing to raise all sorts of hell for her boys' sake.

She was supposed to be sitting in a reception area at the other end of the tower. But Shizune had taken pity on her and allowed her to sit with her in the office, and sneakily listen in on the meeting for news that might bring her back to life.

Sakura's somber musings were interrupted, when the meeting seemed to start as everyone involved flashed into the office not even bothering to use the door under the current circumstances.

"Report." Tsunade ordered.

"The teams have done a thorough scan of the area of the fight and the surrounding areas; however none of the tracker ninja have managed to locate a trail. Not even the Inuzaka clan's trained dogs." Shiusi's voice echoed a far cry from his normal boisterous tone.

Sakura felt her heart sink once more.

"The same goes for the Jonin teams." Kakashi supplied. "No one has managed to find his trail as of yet."

"And Jiraiya." Tsunade questioned.

"He is out of town at the moment, and we have no means of contacting him. We've tried everything but he can't be reached for information regarding the Akatsuki and their hideouts." Kurunai stepped in.

"This is troublesome." Was Shikamaru's strained declaration.

"I take it that you have nothing." Tsunade questioned.

Her response was silence.

"Itachi?" She questioned.

"Still out, attempting to get in touch with his informants for any viable trails." Shisui replied.

"Time is passing us by." This time it was Anko's voice that rung. "Shouldn't we at least consider the only other solution?" She suggested.

"This is not a subject for debate." Kakashi responded, voice firm and unyielding.

"I agree." Shisui pitched. "Using her would solve nothing." He added and Sakura's eyes widened. They were talking about her. "And Itachi has already put his foot down on this." He paused. "He said that under no circumstances are we to use her. And since he's the one running this operation, I suggest….."

"But we should at least….." Anko started but was cut off, as the door to the office burst open.

Everyone turned their attention to the pink haired medic standing there with an unyielding expression.

"I Want to go." She said in finality. "If there is even the slightest chance that…."

"Out of the question." Tsunade said, fixing her apprentice with an intense stare.

"I agree, Sakura-chan." Kurenai intervened. "This is probably a ruse on their part. They won't give him back if you go."

"True." Shikamaru finally spoke up. "They most probably want to deliver an even deeper blow by having us hand you over to them."

Sakura looked unconvinced, but before she could say anything, Kakashi spoke.

"Sakura," He said in a fatherly tone. "For years, Madara has played a very subtle game with the Uchiha clan, specifically with Itachi-san. The kidnapping and murdering of Sasuke and Itachi-san's girlfriends, was nothing but an attempt to get a reaction out of them. A frantic reaction. He was trying to goad Itachi-san and divert his attention away from other Akatsuki related activities."

Shisui nodded.

And Kakashi pushed on.

"He never went after Itachi-san or Sasuke before. He didn't want to draw attention to himself before time. His, were carefully calculated small moves. But now, the fact that he went this far could only mean that he is taking it to the next level, Sakura. He wanted Sasuke all along, going after you was meant as a distraction for us, while he gets ready for his big step."

"He's ready now." Shisui followed up. "Which means that your interference won't solve anything. Actually, they might be keeping him alive only until they get you, and if we hand you over, they might kill him."

"If he's the only thing they want, then why do they still want me?" She questioned balling her fists.

"Why not?" Tsunade questioned. "If they get you, then they deliver yet another powerful blow to the Uchiha clan and its heir. His goal is to take down Itachi. And by killing both you and Sasuke, he would be insuring the maximum damage to Itachi. He's hoping for enough damage to stop him from thinking straight. This is their ultimate goal." Tsunade elaborated. "I want you to remain off duty for the time being, Sakura." The woman ordered. "Naruto's situation is now stable, I will arrange for escorts to take you to the hospital. Shisui will escort you home after he's done working." She finished in finality, and Sakura knew that the conversation was over and now she needed to go.

.

"Yes, I'm just going to pick her up, and we'll be leaving in a few minutes." Shisui's voice echoed through the closed door to the lab where Sakura has been busing herself after visiting Naruto.

The other person said something muffled and then Shisui who was apparently standing right behind the door spoke.

"No, it shouldn't take long. Just have the team stay put. We'll be right out."

And with that, the Uchiha pushed the door to the lab and if it weren't for his ocular abilities he wouldn't have been able to see a thing, for the lab was pitch black, with Sakura sitting on a lab stool at the far end of it, mixing some ingredients in a giant container. For a second, Shisui found himself wondering how that was even possible for her. And then he concluded that after years and years of experience she pretty much didn't need to see, she just knew what she was doing.

Closing the door behind him so that the room was dark again, the playboy walked towards the medic. He couldn't see her face, but courtesy of the Sharingan he had a very firm grasp on her Chakra patterns at the moment, and from that and her general demeanor he concluded, much to his relief, that she wasn't crying. He never was able to deal with crying, he has long since concluded that he wasn't equipped to handle women's tears.

"Are you OK, Kitten?" He questioned.

Sakura didn't reply, instead she added one more ingredient to the mixing bowl.

He gave her a kind look which she didn't see, before coming to stand next to her.

"Don't worry; we're doing everything in our power to find him. Itachi won't let this be, he's still out there looking for trails."

Again Sakura said nothing.

"Come on, Kitten, I'll take you home. You've had a rough day."

Yes home.

Her house, where she could spend the entire night with her eyes wide open, struggling with horrifying thoughts about Sasuke getting murdered, and Naruto being injured and Itachi still out there getting into God knows what.

Sakura couldn't even bring herself to consider Itachi's thoughts at the moment. He has dedicated his entire life to protecting his brother and keeping him away from Madara, and now he ended up right in said man's hands.

Whatever he's feeling right now, Sakura surmised that he'd be hiding it perfectly beneath a mask made of stone. But she knew better now, she knew him much better and she wanted to help.

Except that he made it a point to prevent her from going, even if it would protect his brother.

Sakura appreciated that. She honestly did.

However, Sasuke was her friend. No, Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi were family. And someone just attacked her family, and proceeded to tear them apart. Sakura could just see Naruto's irate reaction when he wakes up. If it were Naruto he'd be raging mad at the moment, running around like an angry bull trying to reach and save Sasuke.

She felt the same way. She felt like nothing could mend the wound in her heart at the moment. Nothing could get her through this night, if she were to choose to spend it in waiting.

Breathing in, Sakura opened her eyes, and muttered a silent apology to Shisui as she watched him drop to his knees beside her.

She caught him just before he hit the floor and steadied him, laying him down carefully.

Unlike Karin, Sakura has chosen to mix a slow acting chemical that worked through long exposure, so that no one would be tipped off. Sakura also mixed one that she has long since developed full tolerance against.

Standing straight, Sakura put on her lab coat, and topped it off with: a plastic hair cover to hide her most prominent feature, a pair of plastic gloves, and a mask.

She needed to go, and given that she knew the hospital like the back of her hand, not to mention that Naruto has long since shown her all the top secret tunnels that he has managed to locate when he was snooping; sneaking out from right under her guards' noses won't be at all hard, especially now that Shisui is out.

With that thought in mind, Sakura stole one last look at Itachi's wedding ring around her finger, and walked on.

.

Completely repressing her Chakra, Sakura walked carefully down the familiar empty roads.

Madara hasn't specified a time or a date for her to be delivered to them. He just said that they needed to hand her in.

Now, Madara was no idiot. So he must have known that Itachi would completely refuse to hand her in, which could only mean that Madara expected her to come of her own accord if she expected her friend to continue on living.

And since the message was for her, Sakura was sure that she knew just the place Madara wanted her to go to, after all, it was the only place where they came in full contact.

Sakura's feet were steady on the floor, her steps determined. She knew that what she was doing was dangerous, but she also knew that she couldn't possibly not do it.

They might kill him if she went, but they might kill him if she doesn't go, they might have already killed him. And she'll be damned if she sat helplessly by while Sasuke died. She owed this to him, to Naruto and to herself. And she'd rather die alongside of him, than live safely while he meets his end.

Inner was also silent for the first time in a very long time.

Normally, she'd be screaming for Sakura to back off and to think before getting them killed. But the alter ego knew better, as bizarre as that may sound. She knew how much this meant to Sakura, and she knew that she could never live with herself if she sat idly by.

And so, Sakura was at peace with her decision.

Pushing back the surge of nostalgia that surged through her as she approached the venue where the auction was held, the girl stepped inside.

It was dark and cold, but Sakura walked on. She climbed the steps to the stage, and stood where she stood that day when Itachi had won the date with her; it was also that day when she first talked face to face with Madara. It was a good day, and a horrible one all at the same time. But she regretted nothing. She was going to do this, no matter what.

Closing her eyes, Sakura felt the surge of enemy Chakra, and didn't even flinch as her control over her senses quickly faded into nothingness.

*Sasuke.*

* * *

**If there is anything that I like more than writing ItaSaku, it's writing ItaSaku with plot twists :D  
**

**Now as you know the next chapter will be the last one. However, next time I won't just be posting the last chapter, I will also post another chapter, which serves as both an epilogue and a companion story to this one. And I will post it separately and at the same time as the last chapter. So please make sure to only read the companion fic after you've read the last chapter here, cuz otherwise you'd just ruin the end of the story for yourself ;) **

**See you all in the next chapter.**

**Please Review. **


	22. Chapter 22

Sakura's eyes flew open, her mind suddenly jumping into action with a snap. However, the girl could see nothing. Her other senses were acutely aware of the shackles chafing against her wrists and feet, and the Chakra restraining device encircling her neck. With a sinking heart, she realized that she was now completely vulnerable.

She breathed in a calming breath, mind revealing an even more gruesome realization; she didn't even get to fight, everything just went black, which could only mean Genjutsu. And the only person capable of doing an upper class Genjutsu like this one would be either Madara or Itachi. So Madara actually came for her himself. *Damn it.*

Sakura had hoped for another member of Akatsuki, they might be strong but she would have at least stood a fighting chance. And if she had brought one of them down, then Itachi and Ibiki would have been more than capable of making him spill on Sasuke's location.

But as it stands, Sakura found herself utterly defenseless.

Wiggling a bit to test her restraints, the girl's eyes widened beneath the blinds, as her shoulder scraped against something .

"You're finally up." He said and Sakura's heart danced. It didn't matter anymore that she was defenseless, God knows where, and surrounded by criminals. He was alive, and she couldn't be happier at hearing his condescending and forever sulky voice.

She grinned.

"Sasuke." She said happily.

"This is hardly the time to be celebrating, Sakura." The young Uchiha berated.

"I know." She said pointedly. "But I can't help it." She added, grinning even wider and not caring if their captors might be close enough to witness the exchange.

She could just feel Sasuke mope in disapproval.

"Why are you here?" He questioned. "And are you injured?" He questioned, obviously blindfolded too.

"To save you. And no."

"So you just walked in here to save me without any plan and no backup." Sasuke surmised.

Sakura grinned sheepishly.

"Pretty much."

This time he actually sighed, and Sakura found herself genuinely happy to get to witness his holier than thou attitude one more time.

"Will you tell me what's happening, then?" He questioned, voice full of implications. "Who are those people? And why did Madara kidnap me?" He added.

It was at that point that Sakura's smile disappeared. He deserved to know, now more than ever, since only God knew what would happen to them next.

Steeling herself, Sakura focused her whole attention on their immediate neighboring area to try and gauge if anyone is within hearing distance. Satisfied with what she realized, the girl started talking.

.

Silence descended as Sakura finally reached the end of her months long story.

The story that started with Sasuke asking her to play his brother, and ended with both of them tied up and blindfolded, and included a whole lot of talk about Itachi and his own desire to protect Sasuke, and the plan he hatched to catch Madara. Sakura even brushed upon the topic of why Madara was doing what he was doing and a little upon his history with Itachi as far as she knew.

She ignored the part about the involvement of the Hokage and the specialized unit that assisted Itachi, just in case someone was listening and she didn't notice them.

Sasuke still didn't say a word, and Sakura knew that he wouldn't.

What could he say after realizing that all this time that he thought of his brother as nothing but an overbearing control freak, said control freak was doing nothing but protecting him and his loved ones. And what could he add to that after realizing that his uncle, the one he trusted dearly was an evil overlord trying to destroy his very own clan starting with him and his brother.

But be that as it may, Sakura was nothing but relived at the fact that he now knew what his brother was all about.

"So, what have they told you?" Sakura questioned.

"Madara welcomed me here and asked if I would consider joining him, and when I asked what was happening, and what I would be joining, he told me to wait and then I would know everything."

"And now you do." Came a deep voice that caused them both to freeze, every bone in their bodies tensing. "I apologize for the unceremonious reception, Haruno-san, however I could not risk them discovering your whereabouts before we got to you. Nevertheless, I must congratulate you on your ability to postulate on the location where I wanted to meet you." Madara's baritone echoed.

Sakura forced herself to breathe steadily.

"What do you plan on doing to us?" She questioned, literally feeling the enraged tension spilling from Sasuke's body, even without his Chakra his rage was palpable.

"Why are you doing this?" Sasuke hissed, interrupting Madara's answer. "What do you stand to gain from this?" The younger Uchiha questioned, voice laced in venom as his tensed muscles strained against the restraints.

Madara's smile was evident in his voice as he spoke.

"Yours is a clan of traitors, Sasuke." The older Uchiha declared. "You people could rule over Konoha if you wanted, yet you leave the Senju clan to rule and stick to occupying your little rat holes, happy with running your measly police force while they tell you how to behave and when to wag your tails cheerfully. And finally, when someone has the presence of mind to attempt to elevate this wretched clan to the heights it deserves he gets double-crossed by his own and then banished as if he committed a crime." Madara spoke, voice steady and unlabored with any semblances of emotion. "This is why I have chosen to destroy the Uchiha clan first; none of them deserves to bear that name. No one but me Sasuke, and if you so choose, you as well."

Sasuke's jaw tightened. "My brother won't let you and neither will my parents." He spat. "They will stop you no matter…."

"Your brother." Madara interrupted sounding pensive. "How I have wished that Itachi would eventually develop an understanding of where his loyalties should lie. Yet he always put Konoha first, I made him an offer, an offer by which he rids himself of his wretched clan and come join me, yet he refused. That nephew of mine has so much to offer. Yet by his own choice, I will have to bury him alongside his beloved clan."

"Never." Sasuke declared, his voice harder and more strained than Sakura ever heard it.

"You must understand, Sasuke," Madara said as Sakura felt herself being pulled up to her feet, her shackles being removed, leaving only the chakra restraining device around her neck. "That without their heir, your clan is worth nothing. Yes, your father is powerful and your mother is even more so, but the Uchiha clan trusts in the main house because of Itachi's presence and also to a lesser degree, yours. By removing you and Itachi from the picture, preying on the clan would be a matter of time."

Now Sakura's blindfold was removed, and she could see the scene in front of her.

On her right, Sasuke stood eyes blazing but not with the Sharingan since he too had his Chakra restrained.

Behind Sasuke stood the man that she once fought, the murderous bastard known as Hidan, and behind her, having just untied her restraints, stood a red headed man who looked like he hated life and all that was living.

The four of them were standing in a giant jail-like cell, surrounded by steel bars, behind which, Madara stood talking to them.

The two men stood behind the two inmates, as if waiting for an order to snap their necks, and Sakura knew that it was a matter of Madara giving them the sign or any of them making a slightly wrong move; and then the two killers would have their lives.

Her mind was frantic. She was there, she got herself into this, she wanted to save Sasuke, but she hadn't thought this through, and her stupid decision was weighing on her right now. She had moved without a plan, and gotten herself trapped with no hope of assisting Sasuke. Her presence didn't better Sasuke's chances of survival in the least, but at least it didn't worsen them and that offered her a fleeting sense of relief. At least she didn't make things worse; she just acted because she couldn't not. And now she was about to pay for it, probably with her very life.

"What does Sakura have to do with this?" Sasuke questioned and Sakura's eyes widened. "Why are you dragging her into it? She is not an Uchiha."

Madara grinned shifting his calm eyes to Sakura.

"But she is deeply valued by the one Uchiha I aim to target." Madara stated. "Can you imagine the look on your brother's face when he opens a box to find his fiancé's head in it? I had almost done the same thing with an ex-girlfriend of his before. However, now I have the feeling that it would have more of an impact this way."

Sasuke stiffened.

"She isn't really his fiancé." He declared and Sakura gawked at him. He knew he was a goner yet he was trying to save her, he was throwing all their cards on the table in a desperate attempt to delay the inevitable.

Madara looked pensive for a while.

"I must admit that something like this is to be expected of my nephew. Yet, I doubt that the impact this move will have will be affected by such a technicality." He declared. "I will also send him your head, Sasuke, but I will send it to the clan residence instead, where everyone could see. I can't wait to see the state your brother will be in after that. After losing his Ototo the one he has been shielding all this time. It is my wish that he goes insane with grief, even _he_ won't be able to take on that much failure." Madara finished with an almost maniacal look on his face.

"He won't go insane." Sakura found herself speaking. "He will continue on running the clan and he will eventually defeat you. What you're doing here will change nothing. It will just make him come after you even harder."

Madara gave her a thoughtful look.

"Such loyalty you are displaying, Haruno-san. I see that I have not made a mistake." He intoned. "Now there is but one way to see what Itachi's reaction to my actions would be." He declared, and Sakura could feel the men behind them shift.

As if on cue, both Sakura and Sasuke moved.

It was a sense of teamwork that they developed through years upon years of working together. None of them knew who moved first, yet, in perfect tandem Sakura went low delivering a blow to Hidan's feet, while Sasuke went up hitting the redhead behind her in the chest.

The impact wasn't that pronounced, since it wasn't enhanced by Chakra, yet the two men reeled backwards nonetheless.

Both teammates adopted a battle stance and glared at the two assailants. They were standing shoulder to shoulder exactly the way they always did it. Their backs to Madara and the bars that separated them.

Instantaneously the two men regained their balance, and in no time they moved, a motion that the two could have expected and even countered if they had their Chakra.

A second later, Sakura found herself pressed back against the steel bars, the redheaded man towering over her as he pressed a small needle to the side of her throat.

Sakura blinked. *Poison.* She concluded, a poisonous needle was so close to her, tip almost breaking skin. The Girl blanched, even more so when she realized that Sasuke had been hoisted up by the neck and that Hidan held a knife to his neck and was grinning like a mad man.

She tried to move, yet the positioning of the needle was treacherous and the redhead seemed like he was made of wood rather than flesh and blood.

Her mind reeled, was that it? Was it her end? If it were then she'd be glad that she'd gone out like this, in a fight rather than lying in her bed waiting for someone to bring Sasuke back to her. Nonetheless, she really didn't want to die. There were things she wanted to do, places she wanted to see and people she needed to talk to just one more time. The image of Itachi came unbidden to her mind, and the sight of the two of them dancing through the storm warmed her heart before making it hurt at the amount of loss he was about to suffer.

Sakura swallowed, her instincts moving her, she stuck a hand back and gripped the steel rod behind her, she might not have Chakra but she was still so damn powerful. And so, in a perfectly calculated move, she pulled on the rod, snapping a huge part of it and promptly aimed it at the man in front of her.

The redhead parried, thus widening the distance between them.

"Bitch." Hidan cursed at Sakura, and during the second that he was distracted, Sasuke kicked out, hitting him right between his legs. The man doubled over. And Sasuke moved to stand right next to Sakura.

She snapped the rod in half and handed him a piece.

And as the two men walked towards them, they pointed them their way, ready to fight to the end.

"Sasori, Hidan…." Madara intoned. "Stop playing around." He ordered, and the two responded by instantaneously flashing so that they stood behind the two once again, before gripping them in a chokehold.

Sakura attempted to use the rod in her hand but the force of the impact caused her grip to loosen and the rod to fall. The same went for Sasuke.

They were both now facing Madara, who was eyeing them with assessing eyes.

"I could see where Team Seven gets its stellar reputation." He commended. "However, you must forgive me since I do not have much time to waste watching your hopeless attempts at breaking free. And if you two are entertaining any thoughts of someone potentially coming to your rescue then I am afraid you are out of luck. This place can never be found." Madara added. "And now, one last question, Sasuke, would you like to join me and become the only other spared Uchiha, or would you rather die instead?"

"I will never join you." Sasuke said without missing a beat.

"I understand." Madara said with a malicious smile. "In that case, Hidan, Sasori, finish them." He ordered.

Sakura's eyes widened.

Her own death was something that she avoided thinking about, because it terrified her, and now she had to face not the prospect, but the real thing.

As Sasori's arms moved to the proper position from which to snap her neck, she was filled with a feeling of utter loss, her life didn't flash in front of her, but the many things she could have done did. She also saw the faces of those she cared about, and wondered if many years from now any of them would remember her. She pondered whether Naruto will one day tell his children about her and Sasuke and remember them with a fond smile. She wished she could tell those she loved that she loved them, and that they shouldn't be sad for her. And last but not least, she wished to apologize to Itachi for not being able to save his brother.

Sasori's hands recoiled, before launching, it would take a split second and she would be gone for good.

Closing her eyes, Sakura took in a final breath as his hands moved…. *This is it.*

.

.

.

.

.

"Sakura."

Opening her eyes once more, Sakura stared in disbelief.

She was on her knees on the floor, and Itachi was standing above her, staring at Madara, while his hand rested on the top of her head.

He was the one to call her name, she hadn't dreamt that.

Or was this all a hallucination brought about by Sasori snapping her neck.

*It isn't.* Inner stepped in. *Look.* She pointed out, and Sakura realized that Sasori was lying on the floor in front of her, and judging by the sword in Itachi's hand, it was anybody's guess how that happened.

Cutting her eyes to Sasuke, Sakura breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Hidan had been thrown out of the steel cage and was scampering to his feet and glaring back at the man who did it.

For his part, Kakashi stood there in his unassuming calm, looking at Hidan, while supporting Sasuke's weight on his shoulder.

It would appear that both Sakura and Sasuke blacked out momentarily from the impact of the chokehold, and thus missed the second when Itachi and Kakashi appeared.

"Itachi." Madara said calmly, and from the corner of her eye Sakura saw Hidan retreating instead of advancing on the ready Kakashi. "I am impressed. I never thought you could find your way here."

"Madara," Itachi said in a morbid tenor, the arm that was on Sakura's head moving as he straightened up and took a step forwards to stand between Sakura and Madara. Kakashi did the same, as Sasuke finally managed to straighten up so that Kakashi was no longer supporting him.

Before Itachi could continue the sound of explosions rung through the air, and Hidan teleported out.

Sakura watched as Madara shifted his eyes upwards and then back to Itachi.

He smiled.

"I see your men are here, Itachi." He said simply.

"Your cover has been blown, Madara," Kakashi spoke. "Your connection to Akatsuki will now become public knowledge and the Uchiha clan will no longer count you as one of their own. You should give up now; you no longer have any leverage on the clan or any means of hiding your affiliations."

Madara smiled.

"The Uchiha clan has been nothing but a personal vengeance of mine. The plans of this organization are much bigger, Hatake-San." He said simply, before pausing and shifting his eyes back to Itachi.

"You might have won this round, Itachi. And for now, your beloved country and clan are safe. But soon, this will all change." He said ominously, before, he simply dissipated in thin air.

"Hologram." She heard Sasuke conclude.

Sakura's eyes widened. This is why Itachi and Kakahsi hadn't attempted to fight him; the man tormenting them so thoroughly wasn't even there to begin with.

A second passed, and Anbu filled the room.

"Sakura." She heard Itachi say as she once again descended into sweet unconsciousness. This time at least she knew that she was safe and that everything was OK. At least for now.

.

On the verge of consciousness, Sakura heard familiar voices.

"That's because you are an idiot."

"Damn it Teme, I was just trying to be nice."

"And how was asking that nurse to sit in bed with you nice?"

"She looked tired. Ero-senin always asks nurses to sit in bed with him, because they work so hard, I was just being nice."

"That is true, and if the nurse actually agrees to sit in bed with you, then things will get truly nice. This is a fact, my boy." Jiraiya's voice echoed.

"I would appreciate it if you don't encourage them to harass nurses, Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi intoned.

"Oh, come on, you've gone through like five volumes of my last series and they were all about nurses and beds." Jiraiya whined.

"Would Sasuke-kun like to sit in bed with me?" Now that voice was unsettling and Sakura could just hear the lecherous implications to Orochimaro's voice.

"No."

"That's because he's not a nurse." Naruto theorized.

"Yes, that's why." Sasuke said in obvious exasperation.

"You people are really weird." Sakura finally managed, opening her eyes lazily.

The combined power of their grins almost had her closing them again.

They all came to stand by her bedside.

"Finally." Naruto said happily.

"You've been out for 3 days, Saku-chan. You had us worried." Jiraiya said with a kind smile.

"Hokage-sama said that it was a case of severe exhaustion. I am glad you're OK. Sakura." Kakashi said fondly.

"Hn." Sasuke said happily.

While Orochimaro sat on the edge of her bed, watching the exchange silently, as he flicked his tongue across his lips.

Normally she'd be pissed off by that, but now that she just had a near death experience she was just happy to be seeing all of them again.

She smiled.

"Look who just became like me." Naruto declared.

She blinked.

"Sakura-chan you rushed into the hideout of criminals without being prepared." He declared. "You're me." Naruto finished with a huge smile.

"I am not." Sakura declared sitting up in bed.

"Yes you are."

"No I am not."

"You truly are." Sasuke interfered, agreeing with Naruto and causing Sakura to glare at him.

"What you did, Sakura, was really dangerous. We will have a talk about it later." Kakashi said with a gleam to his eyes, which made it clear that he intends on drilling a lesson into her by way of a very tedious training session.

*Lovely.*

Sakura blinked, realization hitting her.

"What happened?" She questioned. "I mean with Madara after I ….."

"As you know, Saku-chan he was just a hologram, and the rest of his men managed to escape after fighting with the Anbu officials drafted to the site."

"How about that Sasori person, Itachi-san did hit him and he was lying on the floor."

"I am afraid he was nothing but a wooden puppeteer doll, manipulated from a distance." Jiraiya once again elaborated.

Sakura sighed looking dejected.

"You don't have to worry, Sakura." Kakashi intervened. "After what happened, the Uchiha clan has officially disowned Madara and his name and the names of the members of Akatsuki have been added to those of the most wanted S-Ranked criminals there are." He offered.

"Not to mention that Ibiki-san and Itachi-san have been interrogating that woman Karin. And she has given up the names of all the Akatsuki moles planted in Konoha." Jiraiya offered. "I am sure that when they attempted to assassinate her they weren't counting on you being able to rescue her right away, Saku-chan. You have been great."

Sasuke nodded.

"Yes, by saving her, you've enabled us to completely uproot Akatsuki from Konoha." He said in an appreciative tone.

"But why did they try to kill her? Wasn't she one of their own?" She questioned.

"They used her, Sakura, they used her to offer the distraction that would enable them to abduct Sasuke and once that was done, they no longer needed her, and thus, tried to kill her and bury their secrets alongside her. They never imagined that someone could bring her back after such an attack." Kakashi intoned, and the pride in his voice went a long way towards warming Sakura's heart.

"Not to mention that, during his last recon mission, Jiraiya-sama has managed to locate most of the Akatsuki hideouts, which has also set Madara back a lot." Kakashi added.

Sakura smiled, "This is great."

"Yes, it will take him quite a long time to be able to move again and when he does, the entire Shinobi world will be ready for him." Jiraiya intoned.

Sakura smiled again.

This was a relief, Madara's words to Itachi before he left sure were daunting, but this made her feel much better.

"And we'll be there to stop him and pay him back for what he did to us." Naruto declared, all confident eyes and beaming smiles, just the way she liked him.

Sakura smiled and Sasuke nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder which she knew was his inexpressive way of showing gratefulness.

They sure will. The three of them together, they'll pay Madara back for sure.

"I have to say, I am very proud of you, Sakura." Kakashi said with a nod.

"Yes, if it weren't for Saku-chan's efforts and willingness to assist with the plan, we would never have been able to expose him for what he was." Jiraiya agreed.

"I am not really sure I did that much. I mean, for the most part I didn't even know about Madara or Akatsuki."

"But you agreed to help once you knew. Not to mention that you were the one to heal Karin and also the one to lead us right to Madara and Sasuke." Kakashi said simply.

"How did I lead you to them exactly?" She questioned sitting up.

Naruto , Kakashi and Jiraiya grinned.

"Ring." Orochimaro who didn't even seem to be paying any attention to the conversation, said.

"Ring?" Sakura parroted questioningly.

Sasuke nodded.

"The ring that Itachi gave you is also a tracking device." He declared.

She blinked, looking at the ring that encircled her finger. That explains how he got to her so quickly when she was fighting Karin.

"We didn't want you to go because it was too dangerous, but after you escaped and went after Sasuke the only thing we could do was track you using the ring and you led us right to Madara." Kakashi elaborated.

Sakura blinked. He gave her a tracking device. Damn smart Uchiha.

*But isn't it so nice that he didn't want to put you in danger even though you could have led him to his brother.* Inner said with a smile.

Sakura sighed.

"Sakura-chan is great." Naruto declared.

"And for that you will be awarded by the Hokage." Kakashi added.

"What?"

"She was just here a few hours ago and said that you should stop by her office once you could so that you could receive your award for rendering Outstanding Voluntary Services to Konoha." Jiraiya said with a wink.

"Oh." She said with a smile.

*All is well that ends well, I suppose.*

"That is of course after you receive your punishment for running away and going against your orders."

*Damn it!*

.

Opening her eyes again, Sakura had to restrain a smile at the sight of the pouting face of Shisui.

"You drugged me." He accused.

She smirked.

"I am sorry." She said, she really was, but him being that childish about it does invite a cheerful reaction.

"Well, that looks heartfelt." He said with a raised eyebrow.

"I honestly mean it. I just needed to do something." She said earnestly.

He nodded.

"It's OK kitten. Just next time maybe you could try something that doesn't leave me with a monstrous headache afterwards."

She smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry." She mouthed.

He gave her a wink.

"I hope I didn't get you into much trouble." She offered.

"Nothing that I can't handle." He said puffing his chest out.

She raised an eyebrow.

"So, how are you feeling, Kitten?"

"Much better. I think I'll go home tomorrow morning. It was nothing but a case of exhaustion."

"Well, you had us worried there, Kitten."

"I am sorry." She said with a smile. "So what's been going on with you, while I was out?" She questioned.

"Well, not much, I've just been assisting with the investigation of the Karin person." He declared. "And also a bunch of clan stuff."

"Right, I've been meaning to ask, what's with her?" Sakura questioned. "I mean, why was she working with Madara, anyway?"

"Because of Sasuke." He offered.

"What?"

"Yup, you heard me. Apparently, she's been obsessed with Sasuke all her life. And not the: 'I'd so sleep with you' kind of obsessed, no, it's more like an: 'I'd like to taste your blood' type of obsessed. The chick is crazy, Kitten, and not the sexy type of crazy either. And it would seem that Madara found that out and promised her Sasuke."

"Promised him to her." Sakura repeated slowly. "How?"

"I don't know and I don't even care to. I'd like to keep my sanity, thank you very much." He declared.

"At least what's left of it." She quipped.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Low blow, Kitten."

She grinned impishly.

"Say, do you know that this crazy chick was the one who wrote that article about you in Konoha Weekly." The Uchiha declared.

"You're kidding."

"Yup, she signed it 'Riny'." He elaborated.

Sakura sighed.

"Don't you worry, Kitten, my little cousin has taken very good care of her during the investigation." He added.

Sakura felt a ting of pity for the girl.

A second later, however, she found herself thinking about Itachi, she hadn't seen him since he saved her.

Shisui looked at her with a knowing smile on his face.

"He was here twice over the last few days, you know." He said with an easy wink.

Sakura blinked at him.

"Oh." Was all she managed.

"Yah, but he's been very busy lately. The clan elders have gone up in arms, they wanted to be the first to know about Madara and having been kept in the dark about everything isn't really sitting well with them. It's been hell to deal with." Shisui declared.

"Oh, that sounds like a lot of tedious meetings." She surmised.

"Pretty much." Shisui declared.

.

Over the course of her stay at the hospital, Sakura has had many visits, starting with her Shishou, moving up to random strangers just walking up to say hi, and up to Itachi and Sasuke's own mother.

Mikoto gave Sakura a knowing look that removed any doubt the girl might have had concerning whether or not the woman had long since known about Madara.

She then thanked Sakura for her hard work and assistance. And expressed that she'd always be indebted to her for risking her life for Sasuke.

All in all, it was such a pleasant visit and after it was done, Mikoto had invited Sakura to come over whenever she's free, "You don't have to be Sasuke's or Itachi's pretend girlfriend to come see me, dear, I would love whatever time you could spare to come visit me." The Uchiha Matriarch had said and Sakura gave her a happy smile promising to come by more often.

Eventually, Sakura was released from the hospital and found out that she was in quite a good shape after the past four days of resting. She'd gone out to eat with her friends before going home.

"I knew it!"Ino declared as they reflected on recent events. "I knew you two weren't really getting married. He'd never go for you. Oh, thank God, everything is right with the world again."

"Nonsense,"Naruto quipped. "Sakura-chan deserves a ribbon for putting up with Evil-Taicho and actually pretending that she liked him. As if." He declared. "Oh, wait, I think she deserves two ribbons, since she first pretended to be dating Teme."

That merited him a slap across the back of his head, as Sasuke walked in.

"Shut up, dobe." Sasuke said, as Ino started melting into an amorphous pile of goo at his commanding presence.

"Bastard don't hit me in front of Hinata-chan." Naruto whined, but no one really thought that the passed out Hinata minded it that much.

"I wonder if too much passing out is dangerous for one's brain?" Ino questioned.

Sakura looked thoughtful, while Naruto shot to his feet, "Hinataaa-chaaaaaan!" He declared, shaking the girl around.

All in all, it was a nice day, and she was loving the fact that she was alive. Not to mention that since the news of Madara has now become public knowledge, everyone kinda instantaneously became nice and respectful towards her. Even the fangirls, now that they knew that she really wasn't dating any Uchiha.

Hell, they kinda viewed her as one of their own. In their opinion she has achieved the highest level of fangirliness, she had actually been in the immediate vicinity of Uchiha for too long, and had pretended to be with them, without really managing to achieve anything. This was: "Fangirl Martyrdom" The highest level of Fangirl there was.

And so, she had walked back home from practice one day, only to find an invitation to be the guest of honor at the next "Uchiha Fandom" meeting, which according to Ino was a meeting where all the individual Uchiha fan clubs gather to pay tribute to outstanding Uchiha fans.

Sakura had given a tired smile at the explanation, but was flattered nonetheless, and planned on going if only to watch.

On the grand scheme of things, her life was great and slowly going back to normal; after all, for the first time in months she didn't have to pretend to be anyone's girlfriend.

*But on the narrow scheme of things, we're miserable.* Inner quipped, as Sakura gave herself a once over in the mirror. *We haven't seen him in more than a week.* She whined.

*It's fine. He's no longer obliged to come see me. I mean, if he doesn't do it, it's fine, the mission is now officially over…*

*Who the hell are you kidding with that? Why can't you just fess up to it and get it over with, you coward.*

Sakura blinked.

*Listen…..*

*No, you listen, you freakin love him, so how about you just admit it for goodness sakes. It's not fine if you don't see him anymore or if you become strangers, it will kill you. So stop being a damn idiot, I can't believe I actually had to spell it out for you. God, how can someone as smart as I am, have such a dumb other self.* Inner declared.

Sakura froze.

Yes, she has been doing her best to not think about it, but…. Could it be that she really did love him. How dumb is that?

*It's only human, you moron, you're only human.*

Maybe she was. Only human.

At that, Sakura found herself thinking about all their encounters together, as her eyes inadvertently shifted to the ring still encircling her finger. *When did that happen?* She pondered, and couldn't really locate the particular moment in time when she had fallen for him, that particular moment when he became such a fixture in her life that she couldn't do without him. Was it after he'd revealed his true intentions or had she fallen for him while thinking that he was only out to trick her? She could only assume that she loved all sides of his personality, the loving caring brother, the heartbreaking playboy, and the strict overbearing captain. As far and widely dispersed as those were, she found them all equally appealing.

She sighed.

*You're right.* Sakura finally allowed as she took the ring off her finger and examined it. *I do love him.* She declared, putting the ring down on the dresser. *I don't really know what I should do now, but I know, that I'd love the chance to talk to him again.* She finished walking away from the dresser, leaving the ring behind. She loved him, she wasn't some fangirl, no, she actually loved him, and she wasn't about to obsess over something that was given to her as part of a plan. No, she would do her best to get to know him even better. She just wished he'd want the same.

.

Walking into her class, Sakura had to take a step back; as she realized that there was only one occupied chair.

She gulped, but steadied herself and walked to the front of the class.

Placing her books on the teacher's desk, she swallowed her nerves and turned to face him.

Itachi leaned back against his chair, and gave her a slow once over that made her stomach flutter.

"You took your ring off, Sakura." His lilting tenor echoed.

"Yes I did." She said, not missing a beat. He was there, she was talking to him; all was well.

"Why is that?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"It was a tracking device, why should I keep it on?" She retorted.

He smirked. "How else am I supposed to track you down, Sakura?" His smooth tenor echoed.

"Why would you want to track me down?" She questioned.

"I think this is self-explanatory. Recently you've proven that you have a rather unsettling knack for getting yourself into dangerous situations." He declared.

She took a second to ponder that, before her legendary temper kicked in.

"I can take very good care of myself, thank you very much." She said without thinking. *Yup, never mind that he saved your ass three times over the last two weeks alone.*

He smirked again.

"I never said that you can't, Sakura."

"Then what are you saying?"

At her words, Itachi got to his feet, and from the change in his expression she realized that she's just dug herself into something.

"What I am saying is that you are the most stubborn woman I have ever met, Sakura. You are also very frustrating and never cease to make me feel like the best course of action would be for me to tie you to my bedpost to stop you from doing the exact opposite of everything that I want you to do. You also are rather childish at times." He said as he walked towards her, eyes not leaving hers as he advanced steadily.

A smile touched his lips, "You love your friends dearly and you keep your heart more open than I care for it to be. You are loyal and you have called me 'nice' on more than one occasion. And unlike most of the women I come across, you never for a second feared me. I respect that, Sakura." Itachi's voice filled her senses.

He came to a stop right in front of her.

She blinked, watching him and not really knowing what to do or say.

Her eyes widened even further at his next move.

Itachi dropped to his knees in front of her.

"What I am saying, Sakura, is that I love you." He said in a velvety smooth tenor. "Once when you were drunk, you had told me that you would do anything if I got on my knees before asking you. And here I am asking you to be mine." He finished, managing to sound every bit as domineering, while he was sitting on one knee.

Sakura's breath hitched.

"I…. I…" She muttered in disbelief.

Itachi smirked, getting to his feet.

"For now, I just want us to date, Sakura. But I have already informed the clan that I have found the woman I am to marry. So the wedding has only been postponed, until you see it fit for us to take that move." He said in his commanding, yet somehow ridiculously sexy tenor.

Sakura gawked at him.

"Are you trying to trick me again?" She finally managed.

Something in Itachi's eyes went a hundred shades darker and before she knew it, she was holding onto her desk for support. In a second, she was drawn to him, as his weight pressed down on her in such a way that she could feel every defined contour of his chiseled body. His lips were on hers, firm and overpowering, with unmistakable warmth to them. They moved against hers, demanding that she reciprocates.

Her body arched into his, and she kissed him back without restraint. It was as if her body has decided to no longer recognize her brain as its master, and instead behave as it damn well pleases.

She moaned and he slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring and savoring. He was making a point. He was letting her in and he was making a promise. She could see it now…She could feel it: he never really lied to her after all, he never really attempted to trick her, at least not when it comes to the way he felt.

Tangling her hand through his hair, Sakura drew him in even closer, and could practically feel his smirk against her lips.

She didn't care, she wanted more. Much more.

But much to her chagrin, he chose this particular moment to draw back completely.

*Bastaaaard!* Inner screamed. *You're strong, use it. Get him, get him now!*

From the expression on his face, Sakura surmised that she looked every bit as disappointed as her inner sounded.

Itachi raised an arm and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"Now, will you be mine, Sakura, or should I kidnap you instead." He whispered, lips a mere inch away from hers.

She smiled.

"You're just gonna have to kidnap me, I suppose." She declared impishly, as she braced her arms on his shoulders and hoisted herself up to sit on her desk, looking up at him challengingly.

Itachi gave her a predatory look.

"Gladly." He hissed, and before she knew it, Sakura's back was pressed to the teacher's desk, as he covered her small frame with his. "You are such a good teacher, Sakura." He said. "And you're all mine."

* * *

**First: This story has run for almost a year, and I couldn't have finished it without all the amazing words you guys have offered me along the way. So many thanks to everyone who has reviewed favorited, or followed this story.  
**

**Secondly: As you could see the ending lends itself to a sequel, since the whole thing with Madara is still wide open, not to mention an entire relationship between Itachi and Sakura to explore... So I am considering a sequel :D Now please let me know if you'd like to read one. **

**Third: I am also considering a little companion fic that details the adventures of Shisui with women, while trying to lure Itachi into playing the part of his wingman. This will be set both pre and post Sakura, so it will offer a little insight into what happens after the time of this story. So also please let me know if you're for this one. **

**Finally: I have posted an epilogue chapter right after this one :D It's flashback followed by a brief insight into what happens next, and it goes to answer a key question, which is who was Itachi's girlfriend... **

**So press next, and don't forget to review when you're done ;)  
**


	23. Epilogue

The sun had been nothing but an orange hue, quickly fading in the far horizon, and the air was a cool tolerant breeze, as his teammates lay immobile on the ground.

He didn't spare them a second glance before he turned around and walked away. They were the ones who demanded that he takes their training seriously. They had insisted that he trains with them this one time, since it was their last week together before he makes the transition into Anbu.

He had agreed, as a form of experiment. He was always willing to test his strength, and while they weren't particularly strong, they had a unique set of skills. And he didn't mind giving them the opportunity to demonstrate them in full.

The training grounds were behind him now, as he walked home.

His mother would be finalizing dinner preparations by now, and Sasuke would be hanging by the door eagerly awaiting his brother, so as to start telling him everything about his first day of school.

He had a few minutes till he had to be back though.

And with that in mind, he decided to take an alternate route home. A longer one that he had been thinking about trying for a few days now, just in case something were to happen and he needed to use it.

With measured strides, and eyes that carefully studied his surroundings, he had walked. This route could easily be his alternate path. It had many thick bushes, and a myriad of hiding places along the way.

He filed this information carefully, before his instincts told him to stop.

The Uchiha heir did just that, coming to a complete stop, as he was fully aware of another presence in the area.

Striding slowly, he came to a stop at a clearing surrounded by four giant trees. The entire area was enshrouded in red flower petals, encasing the ground and filling the air with a marvelous scent as they wafted with the easy breeze.

Itachi's attention, though, was drawn to the girl sitting in the midst of it all.

She was leaning against a tree, her hair spilling down her back in a luscious light brown curtain that seemed to flow in just the same manner as the flowers were carried with the breeze.

Her bangs hid her eyes, but for some reason, he knew that her eyes were the same exact earthy shade of brown as her hair.

She was wearing a red flowing dress, matching the shade of the flowers, and as she sat leaning against the trunk of the giant tree, she had a book in her hand, and she was engrossed in reading it. On her face, an expression that bespoke of just how much she was enjoying herself.

Itachi, who wasn't used to being interested in anything, found it hard to tear his eyes away from the scene in front of him. It was ethereal, almost magical.

He was unable to clinically assess the reasons behind his interest, like he normally did with everything he came across. And so, in the interest of better understanding what was drawing him, he walked towards the girl.

As he did, he was aware that he was becoming part of this ethereal scene; it was like he was being drawn onto the canvas so as to forever share this space with that girl and those trees, as part of this very moment.

The girl didn't look up as he walked in, even though he was sure that she knew he was there. He made sure to make his presence known, so that she could object to it if she didn't wish for him to be there.

She didn't.

And he found himself sitting down right next to her, and leaning against the same tree trunk.

She didn't look up.

The girl was engrossed in her book. Turning page after page, while Itachi sat there beside her, provided with all the time he needed to think, study, analyze and arrive at the cause of his interest.

It was proving hard to concentrate on thinking, though, as for the first time in his life, Itachi felt completely relaxed, as his eyes took in the sight of the beautiful magical creature set against the backdrop of a stunning rosy sunset.

He closed his eyes, exasperated at the direction of his thoughts.

Several minutes passed. Or maybe several hours, Itachi wasn't really sure how long he sat there watching her. However, he knew that at some point, the girl spoke, her eyes still fixed on the words of her book.

"I am Reina." Her soft voice echoed, and he heard an innocence there, an innocence that made something inside him take up arms, hoping for nothing but to be able to protect her from everything and everyone.

"Itachi." He husked.

She smiled to her book.

"Itachi." She repeated in her forgiving tenor. "Such a strange name." She added, her smile still there.

He listened silently. He felt like he needed to watch her as carefully as possible, as if to study her.

Silence reigned again, as the girl returned her attention to her book.

Itachi still watched, silently wishing for a glance at the eyes that were reserved solely for the book in her lap. A pang of jealousy flashed across his soul, and he opted to act upon it.

"What are you reading?" He questioned.

"It's a fairytale. A story of a girl who finds her knight." She said with an adoring lilt to her voice.

"Do you wish to find your knight?" He questioned.

She blinked, her eyes finally leaving the book, as she turned her head towards Itachi.

He stilled completely.

Her eyes were the exact same shade he envisioned them to be and her face was a vision of sheer beauty.

Her warm brown eyes held his attention, as she tilted her head to the side allowing her long locks to cascade freely downwards only to be swept by the breeze.

She smiled, and he knew she was pondering his question.

"Yes." She eventually breathed. "I want to find my knight." Reina added with a happy smile.

Itachi watched her carefully, as he studied the impact her every little action had on him.

For the rest of the evening Itachi stayed by her side, observing her soundlessly as she read through her book.

It was the first time he ever missed dinner.

.

Itachi and Reina had a routine.

They didn't talk that much, but every day after he finished training, Itachi would take the long road home, and he would spend hours sitting by this girl's side as she read her way through a book.

She would always pause and tell him about what she was reading.

It was always about something fictional and utterly magical. Such things, that Itachi would never consider reading, yet he loved it when her lyrical voice painted him a picture of the world she loved so dearly.

The air was always light around her, and her presence seemed to add color to her surroundings, making everything more beautiful.

But what was most beautiful, to Itachi, was whenever he managed the right combination of words to get her to give him her attention and direct those clear orbs of hers his way.

Itachi dreamed of her eyes, and the more time he spent with her, the less he wished to understand what he was feeling. It didn't matter anymore. This was the only thing in his life that he wouldn't analyze and try to master. This was the only thing in his burdened life that he would enjoy.

One day, she had produced a little Bento box and gave it to him with a captivating smile.

"You said that you come here right after training. I thought you would like this." Her voice sang a shy melody.

Itachi nodded gratefully.

It was at times like that when he wished he was more expressive.

This was the only time that he hoped to become a little more like Shisui, so that he could thank her heartedly.

She didn't seem to mind his silence though; as she appeared to understand the language of his eyes. She smiled at him again, as if to say: 'you're welcome'. And she went back to her book.

At another day she had looked at him, and said, "You're becoming an Anbu captain?" She repeated what he said with a happy smile. "This is amazing. I'm not even a Chunin yet and we're almost the same age. You should be very proud of yourself."

He thought about her words, finding an unusual ring to them. She had said that he should be proud of himself. And he never really took the time to think about pride. His clan's pride maybe, but never his own. He should be proud, and happy with himself, is what she was saying. To Itachi's keen mind, this was a concept worth exploring.

When he passed the Anbu exam, he had walked over to where she was before going home to inform his parents. And when he watched her excitedly fold her book and beam at him with incredible pride in her eyes, he dropped to his knees next to her and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

She froze, brown eyes wide as they looked at nothing but him and he hoped to keep those eyes on him for the rest of his life.

.

Whenever they were together, she would talk to him about everything. About her life, her home, her hopes and dreams and about her books. He found this fascinating. The way she thought and the way she lived were nothing like the way he thought and lived. And every time they were together she would issue him an invitation into a world that wasn't his own, a world that was all the more enthralling nonetheless.

Most of the time he wouldn't reply to her words, or comment on her stories. Yet, he was grateful that she continued to talk to him, knowing fully well that he was happy to listen.

She added something to his life. Something that he didn't even know was missing.

This is why, on that day when he could find her no more, he vowed to do everything in his power to bring her back. He would sacrifice his life if that is what it took to save her.

He eventually got her back, knowing fully well that he got to her just in time.

Itachi stayed by her bedside for days. He didn't move, and if it weren't for Shisui, he wouldn't have eaten or drank either. He was just content sitting there by her bedside and waiting patiently for her eyes to greet him once more.

When she eventually opened her eyes, his relief turned into a stabbing pain in his chest, when she shied away from his touch. It was as if she was scared of him.

He knew she had suffered a lot, and he knew that it was him who caused her to get caught in the cross fire. Yet, he wished that she could see how much he cared about her.

But for the first time, she couldn't understand the language of his soul.

And so he said it out loud. He told her that he cared and that from this day on out he would protect her with all his might, and never allow anything to touch her again. And he told her he was so very sorry.

In response, he watched the warm pools of brown freeze over and turn to steel. She had told him to go, to leave her be. She had demanded to never see him again in her life.

And he had complied, vowing to never allow himself to feel that way again. He vowed to keep everyone at bay, for if he allows them close, not only will he get hurt, but so will they. And as time passed, he made a new promise. He pledged to never allow his brother to go through the same things he had. His brother would be saved from all the pain and when he eventually allowed him to have a girlfriend, he would make sure that she was strong enough to stand by his side and never leave him.

And so Itachi pushed everyone away from both him and his brother, knowing that when the danger subsides he would allow Sasuke to have someone. But he also knew that it was almost impossible for him to do the same.

.

Crouching on a tree branch, Itachi masterfully veiled his presence as he watched.

It was another clearing, carpeted with flowers. This time the flowers were pink.

And this time, no one read; they fought.

The pink haired subject of his interest was training with her teammates.

And Itachi couldn't help but watch.

This girl was the exact opposite of the one he once loved.

Where Reina was subdued, Sakura was unleashed. Where Reina was shy, Sakura was outspoken. Where Reina was timid, Sakura was opinionated.

Reina always held onto her books, always lived in a world of her own and always wished for the knight to save her. This is why when she came into contact with real danger, she collapsed to her knees. And demanded that Itachi leaves her, since his continued presence in her life might put her in even more danger, a risk that she would never take.

While, Sakura… Well, she was different.

She didn't hold onto a book, she held onto her teammates. Her dreams were of the safety of her loved ones and the prosperity of her country. She trusted easily, and gave wholeheartedly. She would eagerly part with her very last remnant of strength to heal an injured patient. And she would gladly sacrifice her life, to save those she loved.

Where Reina ran, Sakura stood and fought.

When Itachi first met her, he thought she was insane and unnecessarily stubborn for risking her life by going up against him just to give his brother a chance at freedom.

But in his heart he admired her for it and he also envied his brother for this woman who just wouldn't back down.

As time passed, he found himself comparing her to Reina even more.

Reina would talk to him while he listened. But Sakura always asked him questions, and made sure he answered. She seemed eager to get to know him more, and to understand him better.

Like Reina, Sakura too knew how to read his eyes and understand what he refrains from saying. But unlike Reina, Sakura was never intimidated by him, even though he was much stronger than she was, never mind being actively trying to intimidate her.

Despite his efforts, she didn't seem to hate him. She seemed relaxed around him and she allowed him to get close to her. He had danced with her, because he wanted to, even though he was supposed to be carrying out a plan. At times he thought of nothing but her, wanted nothing but her.

As a result, he over did it and he pushed her too far.

On that day in his house, he didn't plan on trying to kiss her, he didn't plan on dancing with her or on holding her as close as he did. But for the first time in a very long time, he felt the urge to no longer think and plan and to just enjoy her presence.

And that was when he pushed her too far. She had thought him to be playing her, while that day after she pushed him away and ran he realized that he was in love. He never thought it could happen again. He actually vowed to disallow it. But regardless of what he wanted, he had fallen for that girl who is the exact opposite of Reina.

When she accepted to face Madara, he had to take a second and admire her strength. Sakura was smart enough to understand what she was getting herself into, yet she didn't hesitate for a second. She had said that she would do anything to stop the man from hurting those she loved, and she had added his name alongside his brother's as a person she wished to protect.

She hadn't meant to say that out loud, yet it slipped, and the blush that graced her gorgeous face only highlighted her sincerity.

It was then that he realized that she was the one for him. And it was then that he saw that Reina truly wasn't.

While he wanted to protect Reina, Sakura wanted to protect him.

And now, as he watched her spar with her two boys, he was a hundred percent certain that he had found his match. His partner.

He would not only protect her with his life, but he would also make sure to make her as powerful as she wanted to be, for he wished to nourish that stubbornness and strength that were so uniquely hers.

Itachi closed his eyes as Sakura parried an attack from his foolish little brother.

He drifted back to the many times Sakura had faced danger, and yet didn't flinch.

Unlike Reina, when Sakura survived Madara, she didn't break. Her eyes were proud, even when her body was weak and he knew that she would have preferred dying to living without saving those she loved.

He smiled to himself, as he watched her aim a fist at the ground and shake it to the very core. His eyes traced her perfectly executed attack, as she kicked the blonde across the clearing and aimed him perfectly at Sasuke.

Watching his brother tumble to the floor. Itachi's eyes gleamed with admiration.

This perfect little creature was his one true love, and he would make sure that she knows it and never forgets it.

He smirked to himself, as he watched the blonde demand a rematch, while both Sakura and Sasuke made their way towards the locker areas.

Today would be the day he finally claims her as his.

It had been a month since he declared his love for her.

She had accepted his feelings, and the way she reacted to him made it crystal clear that she felt the same.

Itachi couldn't remember ever being happier than that moment when she so impishly told him that he would have to "kidnap her".

And kidnap her he will.

His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he abandoned the tree branch and stalked after her.

She had demanded that they wait before getting more intimate. He understood her trepidation; after all, they barely knew each other.

And so, they gave it one month.

And today, marked the end of that month.

Today, he would prove to her just how much he loved her.

He wasn't good with the words, and so he would prove it with actions, as he worships her the way she deserved to be worshipped.

.

Sakura sighed contentedly, as she walked towards the Women's Locker rooms.

She just loved the rush of training.

It allowed her to completely let loose and be herself.

A few acts could be this liberating.

*I could think of one act that could be more liberating.* Inner said with a lecherous smile.

As if echoing Inner's words, Itachi suddenly appeared in front of Sakura, and before she could react, she had to gulp at the expression on his face.

Her boyfriend of one month meant business, and she didn't need a translator to understand the feral look now gracing his beautiful face.

He pinned her to the wall behind her, shifting his body so that she could feel him, all of him, as his lips claimed hers, demanding and completely unwavering.

She held on to his now familiar figure, and marveled at how her self control quickly unraveled under his domineering touch. She wanted him, she wanted nothing but him.

A second later he pulled away, but kept her trapped.

She pouted and gave him a disapproving look for pulling away so quickly.

He answered her with a warm chuckle. One that she was becoming accustomed to hearing, but never accustomed to the impact it has on her.

She grinned, and stood on the tips of her toes, initiating her own kiss.

He gave in to her and let her take the lead for a few seconds.

But then the intensity returned building in between them, as he tilted her head upwards and deepened the kiss, while Sakura involuntarily arched her body into his.

Again, he pulled back.

"Why?" She hissed despite herself.

He grinned, brimming with masculine pride.

"Don't be impatient, Sakura." He advised with a teasing tenor.

Sakura scowled.

"Hey, who are you calling impatient." She said, glaring at him.

He smirked.

"I am even more impatient than you are." His controlled lilting tenor echoed, husky and hypnotizing.

She gave him a dubious look.

He smiled.

"Tonight, Sakura, I will show you how impatient I am. If I allow myself to go any further now, I am afraid I won't be able to stop." He intoned, leaning close to her so as to speak directly in her ear.

Biting her ear and causing her to arch her back again, and hold onto him, he spoke, "Tonight, Sakura." He added and it was a promise, a promise of much more than just a night of passion.

Sakura smiled, and drew in a calming breath.

He drew back completely and scanned her figure.

"I will wait here as you change." He intoned.

Sakura gave him a smile, and surprised him by a quick peck on the cheek before she raced towards the locker rooms.

He watched her retreating form with a relaxed look on his face.

He was happy.

.

They walked to Itachi's house, side by side.

She had asked him about his day.

And he had told her that he spent it stalking her.

She gave a musical laugh in response, one that he was adamant on hearing all the time.

He then offered to train her, since she was thinking about taking the Anbu exam.

She gave him a hearty smile in response, and told him that that would be great.

He nodded and she grinned.

Their hands lightly touching as they walked side by side.

.

The second they approached Itachi's house, Sakura heard Shisui's voice.

"You need to go." His voice was firm and unyielding. And Sakura knew that when Shisui used such voice, something was very very wrong.

Glancing over towards him as they approached the door, Sakura saw that he was talking to a woman. The fact that Shisui would order a woman to leave was all the more bizarre.

The second Sakura and Itachi crossed the front gate, the woman turned around.

She was gorgeous.

Almost Sakura's height, with long brown hair and warm chocolate colored eyes. A vision in a pink flowy skirt and a small white shirt.

She smiled at them.

No, she wasn't smiling at them. *She's smiling at him.* Sakura realized.

"Reina." Itachi's voice echoed.

.

Sakura stiffened completely as the gorgeous woman made her way over to them.

"Itachi." Her soft voice echoed, happy and loving.

Glancing over at Itachi, Sakura found an unreadable expression on his face as he watched Reina come to a stop right in front of him.

"I tried to get her to leave, little cousin." Shisui said, almost apologetically. His apologetic look, however, was aimed more at Sakura than at Itachi.

Sakura's heart constricted.

"I missed you." The divine creature intoned, having eyes only for Itachi.

He didn't speak, merely eyeing her with his impenetrable mask firmly in place.

"Can we talk?" She questioned hopefully, seemingly seeing right through his impassiveness.

"Hn." He replied, and the woman beamed walking towards the door to Itachi's apartment.

Sakura was frozen as she prepared to watch Itachi walk after his ex-girlfriend. However, she was shocked when she felt his warm hand encase hers.

He didn't look her way, yet he drew her gently so that she would walk with him towards the door, hand in hand.

Her heart fluttered. Even more so when the other woman who had stopped in front of the door turned around and saw their hands intertwined, her eyes quickly darting to Sakura's face, as if she was just realizing that she was there.

They walked in, and Reina followed, as Shisui excused himself with an, "I'm leaving now. Bye little cousin, bye little kitten."

Once inside, Itachi led them to one of his living rooms, before turning to face Reina. He released Sakura's hand and spoke, "Reina, this is Sakura. My girlfriend, and future wife." He intoned.

Sakura saw the woman's features darken. She was shocked and devastated in equal measures.

"Oh." She said, before pausing for a second to collect her thoughts. "I didn't know that." She said with a half-hearted smile. "I heard about you finally revealing Madara for what he really is. I came to congratulate you for that. I knew you could do it." She finished, voice restrained.

"Thank you, Reina." He said, and he seemed to be thanking her for a lot more than what she said.

She nodded, and Sakura could tell that the woman was bravely fighting back tears.

"I'll give you two some time." Sakura declared, preparing to walk towards the kitchen and give them some space.

But Itachi's hand wrapped around her arm, stopping her in place.

"This won't be necessary, Sakura." He said in a warm tone, his eyes fixed on hers as he gave her a reassuring smile.

Reina smiled sadly, eyes darting between Itachi and Sakura.

"I am glad." She said, bringing their attention back to her. "I am glad you found someone that makes you happy." She added with a genuine smile.

Itachi nodded, and smiled at her.

"Thank you." Sakura intoned.

The woman nodded, before turning around and walking away.

Sakura watched her leave.

"She's beautiful." She declared.

"You are perfect." Itachi's voice echoed, as he drew her in so that her back was resting against his chest. "I love you." He whispered, as his arms enveloped her.

Sakura smiled, and a happy tear almost escaped her eyes, as she leaned back into the security of his arms.

"I love you too." She said it for the first time. She was happy she did.

She could hear Itachi's smile, as he leaned very close, so his lips were caressing her ear as he spoke.

"Prove it." His husky voice intoned challengingly, and a shiver of anticipation ran through her body, as he lifted her up into his arms, and started walking up the staircase.

"W-wait…." She stuttered, he was moving way too fast.

"Never again, Sakura. I won't wait again." Itachi declared.

Images of silken dark sheets filled her mind, as she watched her inner self pass out.

Sakura smiled.

"I love you."

.

**;) **


End file.
